Blankenship Ballet's unconventional platform for dance

Mark and Bertha Blankenship stage informal Cuban ballet and cabaret shows in historic buildings in need of repair, like downtown L.A.'s Alexandria hotel.

On a recent Tuesday night at Salvage Bar & Lounge in downtown Los Angeles, Bertha Suarez Blankenship, a former member of the National Ballet of Cuba, rose up on her pointe shoes and commandeered the venue's small platform stage. She proceeded to dance a technically precise excerpt from "Swan Lake" and as cheers erupted, Shana Blake Hill, a tall, dark-haired opera singer, strode onstage in a bustier and fishnets and belted out an aria from "Carmen."

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