Salwa Rizkalla’s artistic vision and community involvement led to the creation of Festival Ballet Theatre (FBT), and its precursor Southland Ballet Academy (SBA).

Artistic Director Salwa Rizkalla has contributed to the Orange County, California community for more than 40 years by presenting full productions of classical ballet alongside new contemporary and original works. Through her non-profit organization, Festival Ballet Theatre, she invites world-class dancers to perform leading roles and promotes excellence in dance performance, while providing top-tier classical ballet training at Southland Ballet Academy.

During her professional dancing career, Ms. Rizkalla performed key roles in well-known classical ballets and worked under the direction of world-renowned choreographers, including Leonid Lavrovsky and Serge Lifar. She trained in the Russian Vaganova method at the Higher Institute of Cairo, earning a Bachelor of Arts in Ballet Pedagogy, and later secured a lifelong teaching credential from UCLA. She established Southland Ballet Academy in 1983 and debuted Festival Ballet Theatre in 1988. In addition to teaching and directing, she has served on the faculty at several local colleges and institutions.

Her contributions have been recognized by numerous arts organizations. The Orange County Music and Arts Administrators and Orange County Performing Arts Center jointly named her the Orange County Arts Educator of the Year for Secondary Dance (2003). Youth America Grand Prix has repeatedly recognized Ms. Rizkalla as an Outstanding Teacher, and Arts Orange County honored her with the Helena Modjeska Cultural Legacy Award (2014). Additionally, the OC Register named her one of Orange County’s 100 Most Influential people in 2017.

Ms. Rizkalla is honored to have impacted the lives of hundreds of students and their families through her teaching. She remains a dedicated educator, energetic promoter of the arts, and active participant in the cultural life of her community.