Ballet America

Ballet America is the performance company of the Academy of American Dance. Since its founding in 2003, Ballet America has performed to sold-out audiences throughout the San Francisco Peninsula from the Fox Theatre in Redwood City to Stanford’s Memorial Auditorium.

Ballet America’s Nutcracker cast includes over one hundred dancers who are students of the Academy of American Dance. Each June, about 25 dancers are selected by audition to become Ballet America Junior Company members. The majority of these dancers are high school students and are on a professional ballet track of training. Several Company members have received acceptance to major dance company’s summer intensives such as San Francisco Ballet, Ballet West, SAB, Bolshoi Ballet, Pacific Northwest Ballet, Boston Ballet, and American Ballet Theatre New York.  Past graduates have danced professionally with companies such as Madison Ballet and Louisville Ballet.

Ballet America’s Junior Company mission:

To foster professionalism, self-esteem, and excellence in young dancers while pursuing goals that enrich the lives of our community. Ballet America promotes and nurtures local talent by performing repertoire that specifically appeals to families, and that positively influences the community. We believe that dance is a unique language with the capacity to enliven beauty in others.

Ballet America’s Junior Company purpose:

• To provide rigorous training to those students who have demonstrated the drive and focus to excel. This includes more class work with more emphasis on proficiency, more opportunities to perform, and direct mentorship by teachers and the Director.
• To foster a healthy community among dancers where self-development and awareness of one’s larger community are held paramount. This will include building skills that prepare a student for employment opportunities, community performances to serve those in need, and team building through programs like Ballet America’s Little Sister/Big Sister program where dancers are paired to help develop leadership skills and to ease the transition into the company for new dancers.

Ballet America’s Grit and Grace Program:

Ballet America’s Grit and Grace program currently serves 20 students a year by providing free dance lessons and performance opportunities for students who are handpicked through Generations United. From the onset of our organization in 1999, we have tried to break down barriers of entry to dance lessons for students in the North Fair Oaks area.  Dance is a unique language for many people and we are trying to enable access to dance across all socio-economic and racial backgrounds. In a sense, we are trying to democratize this art form so that more students can enjoy and benefit from its healthy practice of exercise, creative expression, goal-setting, and self-discipline.

About Ballet America:

Ballet America is the performance company of the Academy of American Dance. Organized as a 501(c) non-profit your donations allow us to bring our performances to the community and introduce dance to economically challenged youth through our scholarship program.

Your donations are tax-deductible and greatly appreciated.  Thank You!