Fledgling company shows grit and desire
Victoria Looseleaf, LA Times

Although they may not be quite ready for prime time, there is still something to be said for the Burbank-based Media City Ballet Company. Founded in 2001 by artistic director Natasha Middleton, the ambitious troupe had much to be proud of at the Alex Theatre on Sunday.

Sure, the small audience was mainly cheering parents and kids, and for much of the first half the dancers made the work look difficult, but the company has grit and a desire to please. Like many fledgling ballet companies, this one is built from a school. Middleton, a third-generation ballet dancer (her grandmother and father were soloists with Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo), teaches as well as directing and choreographing for the company.