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PASADENA, CA - June 23, 2026: Helga Monson de Kansky teaches ballet to students at Pasadena Dance Theatre on Tuesday, June 23, 2026. (Christina House / Los Angeles Times)

Helga Monson de Kansky was once predicted to become ballet’s next star. Instead, she chose a life with her family and a career as a dance instructor.

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PASADENA, CA - June 23, 2026: Helga Monson de Kansky teaches ballet to students at Pasadena Dance Theatre on Tuesday, June 23, 2026. (Christina House / Los Angeles Times)

Helga Monson de Kansky was once predicted to become ballet’s next star. Instead, she chose a life with her family and a career as a dance instructor.

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Sope dish at Californios Restaurant in San Francisco, CA photographed on September 19, 2024. (Carolyn Fong/For The Times)

L.A.’s Kato earns its second star, two local chefs are rising-star talent, a San Francisco restaurant just became Michelin’s first three-star Mexican restaurant in the world, and other accolades from this year’s 2026 California Guide reveal.

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