San Francisco Ballet Association

SF BALLET'S MISSION IS TO SHARE OUR JOY OF DANCE WITH THE WIDEST POSSIBLE AUDIENCE. (SEE SCH. O) SF BALLET AIMS TO REACH AUDIENCES BOTH LOCALLY AND AROUND THE WORLD, AND TO PROVIDE THE HIGHEST CALIBER OF DANCE TRAINING IN OUR SCHOOL. WE SEEK TO ENHANCE OUR POSITION AS ONE OF THE WORLD'S FINEST DANCE COMPANIES THROUGH OUR VITALITY, INNOVATION AND DIVERSITY, AND THROUGH OUR UNCOMPROMISING COMMITMENT TO ARTISTIC EXCELLENCE BASED IN THE CLASSICAL BALLET TRADITION.

UNDER THE DIRECTION OF HELGI TOMASSON FOR THREE DECADES, THE ASSOCIATION HAS ACHIEVED AN INTERNATIONAL REPUTATION AS ONE OF THE PREEMINENT BALLET COMPANIES IN THE WORLD. DURING THE FISCAL YEAR, AND AS A RESULT OF THE CLOSURE OF THE WAR MEMORIAL OPERA HOUSE DUE TO THE PRECAUTIONS AROUND THE CORONAVIRUS CRISIS, THE ASSOCIATION PRESENTED A FULLY DIGITAL SEASON TO AUDIENCES BOTH LOCALLY AND GLOBALLY. NUTCRACKER WAS OFFERED THROUGH A FULL-PRODUCTION FILM AND INTERACTIVE DIGITAL FAMILY EXPERIENCE. THE DIGITAL SEASON INCLUDED SEVEN PROGRAMS MADE UP OF WORLD PREMIERES OF THREE NEW WORKS, FILM CAPTURES OF A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM AND SWAN LAKE AND OTHER PERFORMANCES REPRESENTING CLASSICAL, NEOCLASSICAL AND CONTEMPORARY BALLET WORKS.

THE ASSOCIATION OPERATES THE SAN FRANCISCO BALLET SCHOOL AND A STUDENT RESIDENCE FOR 52 INTERMEDIATE AND ADVANCED STUDENTS FROM ACROSS THE US AND AROUND THE WORLD. THE BALLET SCHOOL CURRICULUM IS DESIGNED AND TAUGHT BY AN EMINENT FACULTY, EMPHASIZING A STRONG CLASSICAL TECHNIQUE AND A FLOW OF MOVEMENT THAT SUGGESTS A SENSE OF ENERGY, FREEDOM, AND JOY - REFLECTING THE KIND OF DANCING FAVORED BY THE BALLET. GIRLS AND BOYS AGED 8 TO 18 FOLLOW A STRUCTURED SEQUENCE OF TRAINING STAGES DESIGNED TO INCREASE THEIR TECHNICAL SKILLS, STAMINA, AND DISCIPLINE IN ACCORDANCE WITH THEIR AGE AND PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT. THE PROGRAM INCLUDES CLASSES IN TECHNIQUE, POINTE WORK, PAS DE DEUX, MEN'S TECHNIQUE, CONDITIONING, CONTEMPORARY DANCE, DANCE HISTORY, AND MUSIC. (SEE SCH. O)SEMINARS ON NUTRITION AND RELATED ISSUES ARE OFFERED THROUGHOUT THE SCHOOL YEAR. THE STUDENT RESIDENCE IS LOCATED AT THE BOWES CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS, A MULTIPURPOSE FACILITY OWNED BY THE SAN FRANCISCO CONSERVATORY OF MUSIC (SFCM). RESIDENTIAL STUDENTS TAKE PART IN ADDITIONAL EDUCATIONAL OFFERINGS THROUGH SFCM AS WELL AS PROGRAMMING BY BALLET STAFF. THE BALLET SCHOOL PROVIDES A LIMITED NUMBER OF TUITION AND HOUSING SCHOLARSHIPS TO INTERMEDIATE AND ADVANCED LEVEL STUDENTS BASED ON THEIR FINANCIAL NEED OR POTENTIAL TO ACHIEVE A PROFESSIONAL CAREER IN BALLET. NEARLY SEVENTY PERCENT OF THE DANCERS IN THE BALLET'S PROFESSIONAL COMPANY TRAINED IN THE SCHOOL. STUDENTS HAVE ALSO GONE ON TO DANCE WITH SUCH COMPANIES AS ENGLISH NATIONAL BALLET, DUTCH NATIONAL BALLET, ROYAL NEW ZEALAND BALLET, ROYAL WINNIPEG BALLET, VIENNA OPERA BALLET, HAMBURG BALLET, NEW YORK CITY BALLET, AMERICAN BALLET THEATRE, JOFFREY BALLET, HOUSTON BALLET, PACIFIC NORTHWEST BALLET, BOSTON BALLET, OREGON BALLET THEATRE, WASHINGTON BALLET, MIAMI CITY BALLET, PITTSBURGH BALLET THEATER, PENNSYLVANIA BALLET, AND ATLANTA BALLET, AMONG OTHERS. THE BALLET SCHOOL ALSO OPERATES SUMMER SESSIONS IN SAN FRANCISCO FOR PROFESSIONAL BALLET CAREER-BOUND STUDENTS FROM THE U.S. AND ABROAD. SF BALLET SCHOOL OFFERS SCHOLARSHIPS TO TALENTED YOUNGSTERS RECRUITED FROM SF PUBLIC SCHOOLS THROUGH THE COMMUNITY SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM. ADDITIONAL PROGRAMMING INCLUDES PRE-BALLET CLASSES FOR CHILDREN AGES 4-7, ADULT OPEN BALLET CLASSES, MASTER CLASSES, AND SPECIALLY- DESIGNED DANCE CLASSES FOR SENIORS AND ADULTS WITH PARKINSON'S DISEASE.

THE ASSOCIATION PROVIDES DANCE EDUCATION PROGRAMS IN K-12 SCHOOLS AND THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE, SOMETIMES IN COORDINATION WITH OTHER COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS, AND THEY ARE GEARED TO CHILDREN, YOUTH, FAMILIES, AND ADULTS. THE DANCE IN SCHOOLS AND COMMUNITIES (DISC) PROGRAM IS THE LARGEST OFFERING TARGETING YOUTH, AND IT PROVIDES FREE INTERACTIVE DANCE EDUCATION TO APPROXIMATELY 3,000 STUDENTS IN 40 SAN FRANCISCO UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT (SFUSD) EARLY-EDUCATION AND ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS THROUGH A 9-WEEK RESIDENCY EACH YEAR. (SEE SCH. O)ADDITIONAL PROGRAMS INCLUDE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FOR CLASSROOM TEACHERS, WORKSHOPS FOR THE SPECIAL NEEDS COMMUNITY AND FAMILIES, AFTER-SCHOOL DANCE CLASSES, A SUMMER DANCE CAMP, ADULT EDUCATION PROGRAMS FOR LEARNERS AT ALL LEVELS, AND STUDENT MATINEES GEARED TO SCHOOL GROUPS WHO WISH TO SEE A LIVE PERFORMANCE OF SAN FRANCISCO BALLET. IN 2021, EDUCATION PROGRAMS MOVED TO A VARIETY OF DIGITAL PLATFORMS DUE TO COVID-19 SHELTER-IN-PLACE MANDADES. SF BALLET PARTNERED WITH SFUSD AND KTVU PLUS, A LOCAL TV STATION, TO CREATE "SF LOVES LEARNING," AN EDUCATIONAL TELEVISION PROGRAM DESIGNED SPECIFICALLY FOR PRE-K THORUGH 2ND GRADE STUDENTS AND THEIR FAMILIES. THE TELEVISION PROGRAM AIRED WEEKDAYS FROM SEPTEMBER 2020-JUNE 2021 WITH MUSIC AND DANCE SEGMENTS FEATURING SF BALLET'S TEACHING ARTISTS. ESTIMATED 30,000 COMMUNITY MEMBERS ARE ENGAGED IN THE ASSOCIATION'S EDUCATION PROGRAMS ANNUALLY.

THE ARTISTS RESERVE FUND IS ESTABLISHED BY A COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE BALLET AND THE AMERICAN GUILD OF MUSICAL ARTISTS (AGMA), THE DANCERS AND STAGE MANAGERS UNION. EACH YEAR, A COMMITTEE OF BALLET REPRESENTATIVES, ARTISTS, AND A UNION REPRESENTATIVE MEET TO GRANT MONEY FROM THE ARTISTS' RESERVE FUND TO ELIGIBLE ARTISTS TO ASSIST WITH FUNDING FOR THEIR CAREER TRANSITION ACTIVITIES.