Foundation For Dance Education

INLAND PACIFIC BALLET'S MISSION IS TO BUILD AND SUSTAIN A PROFESSIONAL BALLET COMPANY IN THE INLAND EMPIRE OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA. INLAND PACIFIC BALLET IS COMMITTED TO PRODUCING EXQUISITELY STAGED PRODUCTIONS OF FULL-LENGTH CLASSIC STORY BALLETS AS WELL AS PRESENTING THE BEST IN CONTEMPORARY CHOREOGRAPHY. THROUGH CREATIVE MARKETING AND AN EXTENSIVE OUTREACH PROGRAM, INLAND PACIFIC BALLET WORKS TO INTRODUCE NEW AUDIENCES TO THE MAGIC OF BALLET AND LIVE THEATER, AND TO MAKE THE EXPERIENCE MORE AVAILABLE AND ACCESSIBLE TO ALL. INLAND PACIFIC BALLET IS ALSO COMMITTED TO THE CONTINUED NURTURING OF NEW TALENT, PROVIDING AN ESSENTIAL TRAINING GROUND FOR SERIOUS YOUNG DANCERS.

INLAND PACIFIC BALLET'S FY2020-2021 SCHEDULE WAS SEVERLY AFFECTED BY THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC. OUR THEATER VENUES REMAINED CLOSED THROUGH THE END OF IPB'S FY2020-2021. FOR THE FIRST TIME IN OUR HISTORY, NO LIVE PERFORMANCES WERE HELD IN THEATERS, AND WE WERE ALSO UNABLE TO PRESENT OUR POPULAR EDUCATIONAL OUTREACH PERFORMANCES FOR K-12 STUDENTS. TO BRIDGE THE GAP DURING THIS UNPRECEDENTED PERIOD, OUR CREATIVE TEAM PIVOTED TO TRANSFORM OUR LARGEST REHEARSAL STUDIO INTO A THEATER FOR FILMING AND LIVESTREAMING OF PERFORMANCES, COMPLETE WITH GREEN SCREEN TECHNOLOGY. OUR GOAL WAS TO CREATE AN INTIMATE IN-HOUSE SPACE FOR FUTURE, SMALL SCALE PERFORMANCES WITH LIVE AUDIENCES. THE RESULT OF THESE EFFORTS ALLOWED US TO CREATE A FILMED VERSION OF NUTCRACKER HIGHLIGHTS THAT WAS LIVESTREAMED IN DECEMBER 2020, MADE AVAILABLE AS VIDEO ON DEMAND, DURING THE HOLIDAYS ALONG WITH FILMED VERSIONS OF OUR 2018 AND 2019 PRODUCTIONS OF THE NUTCRACKER, AND PRESENTED AS AN OUTDOOR DRIVE-IN MOVIE AT THE FAIRPLEX POMONA IN JANUARY 2021. THIS INNOVATIVE PROJECT PROVIDED SOME TRAINING AND PERFORMANCE CONTINUITY FOR OUR COMMUNITY OF YOUNG DANCERS, WHO HAD TO REHEARSE AT HOME AND THEN ONLY COME TOGETHER FOR SOCIALLY DISTANCED, SMALL POD REHEARSALS AND FILMING. THIS APPROACH PROVIDED A UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY FOR IPB'S STAFF, TECHNICAL CREW AND PARTICIPATING YOUNG DANCERS TO LEARN MORE ABOUT AND PARTICIPATE IN THE UNIQUE EXPERIENCE OF CREATING A FILM. DURING 2021, IPB CONTINUED TO EXPAND OUR TECHNOLOGY AND LIVESTREAMING SKILLS BY PRODUCING THE WIZARD OF OZ FOR LIVESTREAMING. APPRENTICE PROGRAM: APPRENTICES ARE PRE-PROFESSIONAL DANCERS WHO WORK WITH THE COMPANY IN ITS RIGOROUS DAILY REHEARSAL SCHEDULE AND PERFORM IN ALL PRODUCTIONS. THEY RECEIVE A SCHOLARSHIP FOR ADDITIONAL TRAINING THROUGH THE IPB ACADEMY AND ARE UNDER CONSIDERATION FOR COMPANY CONTRACTS IN FUTURE SEASONS. DURING THE COVID CLOSURES OF FY2020-2021, A COHORT OF APPRENTICES WAS SELECTED AND CONTINUED THEIR TRAINING, PERFORMING LEAD ROLES IN THE FILMED VERSION OF THE NUTCRACKER.YOUTH MENTORING: IPB CONTINUED TO PROVIDE UNIQUE PERFORMANCE AND LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES FOR GIFTED YOUNG DANCERS IN THE REGION THROUGH PARTICIPATION IN IPB PRODUCTIONS AND THROUGH MASTER CLASSES AND WORKSHOPS WITH OUTSTANDING ARTISTS IN THE FIELD.