Molly Lynch

Citing "artistic and professional reasons," Ballet Pacifica artistic director Molly Lynch has resigned from the Irvine-based company she has led since 1988. "It was an extremely difficult decision to make, but I felt it was the only reasonable alternative at this point," Lynch said Wednesday. "I'm trying to focus on the positive and all we did over the last 15 years and figure out what I'm going to do next." Lynch would not elaborate on her decision.

Artistic director Molly Lynch doesn't do a lot of advertising to lure participants to the National Choreographers Initiative, now underway in the dance studios of UC Irvine. That's because she doesn't have to. Alumni have spread the gospel of the three-week project, an independent workshop that supports the growth of contemporary ballet. This year, about 40 choreographers applied for four spots. The lucky quartet - Los Angeles-based Melissa Barak and New Yorkers Thang Dao, Darrell Grand Moultrie and Wendy Seyb - have received transportation to Irvine, a fee, housing, professional dancers, plus rehearsal time in state-of-the-art studios.

About to celebrate her 10th anniversary as head of Ballet Pacifica, Molly Lynch surveys her tenure with satisfaction. "We've been definitely on a growth curve essentially in every way," she said recently. "We've expanded our repertory to encompass a lot of variety in choreography. We've hired dancers and better-caliber dancers.

In a bid to keep her most innovative idea alive from her days leading Ballet Pacifica, Molly Lynch will head a new National Choreographers Initiative, Lynch and supporters announced Monday at the Irvine Barclay Theatre. The project is to begin July 6 and culminate in a series of works created by four choreographers to be presented July 24 at the Irvine theater.

Molly Lynch, Shawna Berke and Jenni Tanaka each had a goal and an assist and UC Irvine defeated Chapman, 5-0, in a nonconference women's soccer game Thursday at Irvine. Melissa Pilgrim and Lori Muzzongiro also scored and Amee Chapman had four saves for the Anteaters (5-5-1).

Marilyn H. Lynch, a longtime volunteer and patron of music, ballet and theater in Orange County, died Wednesday. She was 69. A lifelong arts lover, Lynch graduated with a degree in music from Stanford University in 1950. She sang for numerous church choirs and other groups, and served as director of the South Coast Repertory and director and treasurer of Ballet Pacifica in Irvine.

"Women Waiting," a new work by Ballet Pacifica artistic director Molly Lynch, will be part of the Cal State Long Beach Dance Faculty concert, Nov. 17-21, at the Knoebel Dance Theater, Cal State Long Beach, 1250 Bellflower Blvd. "They asked me to do a piece for the dance concert," Lynch said Thursday. "I auditioned the dancers in their [Cal State's] program and decided to do a new piece instead of restaging one of my older ones."

The local dance scene must be heating up when on the heels of one premiere, another follows. First came news of the St. Joseph Ballet competition for inner-city youths that has produced a new ballet the company will present through Sunday in Santa Ana.

As the curtain is about to fall on her second year as artistic director of Ballet Pacifica, Molly Lynch can point to a significant amount of progress on the local front. The company's children's series has been expanded, there's been an increase in concert series subscriptions and single ticket sales, and Lynch expects to see a modest increase in next year's budget over this year's figure of $230,000.

Citing "artistic and professional reasons," Ballet Pacifica artistic director Molly Lynch has resigned from the Irvine-based company she has led since 1988. "It was an extremely difficult decision to make, but I felt it was the only reasonable alternative at this point," Lynch said Wednesday. "I'm trying to focus on the positive and all we did over the last 15 years and figure out what I'm going to do next." Lynch would not elaborate on her decision.

"Women Waiting," a new work by Ballet Pacifica artistic director Molly Lynch, will be part of the Cal State Long Beach Dance Faculty concert, Nov. 17-21, at the Knoebel Dance Theater, Cal State Long Beach, 1250 Bellflower Blvd. "They asked me to do a piece for the dance concert," Lynch said Thursday. "I auditioned the dancers in their [Cal State's] program and decided to do a new piece instead of restaging one of my older ones."

Marilyn H. Lynch, a longtime volunteer and patron of music, ballet and theater in Orange County, died Wednesday. She was 69. A lifelong arts lover, Lynch graduated with a degree in music from Stanford University in 1950. She sang for numerous church choirs and other groups, and served as director of the South Coast Repertory and director and treasurer of Ballet Pacifica in Irvine.

About to celebrate her 10th anniversary as head of Ballet Pacifica, Molly Lynch surveys her tenure with satisfaction. "We've been definitely on a growth curve essentially in every way," she said recently. "We've expanded our repertory to encompass a lot of variety in choreography. We've hired dancers and better-caliber dancers.

Molly Lynch, Shawna Berke and Jenni Tanaka each had a goal and an assist and UC Irvine defeated Chapman, 5-0, in a nonconference women's soccer game Thursday at Irvine. Melissa Pilgrim and Lori Muzzongiro also scored and Amee Chapman had four saves for the Anteaters (5-5-1).

In a bid to keep her most innovative idea alive from her days leading Ballet Pacifica, Molly Lynch will head a new National Choreographers Initiative, Lynch and supporters announced Monday at the Irvine Barclay Theatre. The project is to begin July 6 and culminate in a series of works created by four choreographers to be presented July 24 at the Irvine theater.

Artistic director Molly Lynch doesn't do a lot of advertising to lure participants to the National Choreographers Initiative, now underway in the dance studios of UC Irvine. That's because she doesn't have to. Alumni have spread the gospel of the three-week project, an independent workshop that supports the growth of contemporary ballet. This year, about 40 choreographers applied for four spots. The lucky quartet - Los Angeles-based Melissa Barak and New Yorkers Thang Dao, Darrell Grand Moultrie and Wendy Seyb - have received transportation to Irvine, a fee, housing, professional dancers, plus rehearsal time in state-of-the-art studios.

The local dance scene must be heating up when on the heels of one premiere, another follows. First came news of the St. Joseph Ballet competition for inner-city youths that has produced a new ballet the company will present through Sunday in Santa Ana.

As the curtain is about to fall on her second year as artistic director of Ballet Pacifica, Molly Lynch can point to a significant amount of progress on the local front. The company's children's series has been expanded, there's been an increase in concert series subscriptions and single ticket sales, and Lynch expects to see a modest increase in next year's budget over this year's figure of $230,000.