Ballet San Jose
Ballet San Jose is a ballet company based in San Jose, California, USA.
The company's mission is to provide the San Francisco Bay Area with theatrically produced ballet and professional dance education in a manner that honors the vision of the artists, meets the highest technical and artistic standards, contributes to the fulfillment of the cultural needs of the community, and is accessible to as wide an audience as possible.
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[edit] History
The company was founded in 1986 as the "San Jose Cleveland Ballet," a co-venture with the ten-year old Cleveland Ballet which offered to the dancers added performing exposure, and each city a ballet company for a moderate, shared investment. In 2000, the Cleveland Ballet ceased operations, and over half the dancers, the headquarters, and artistic director/choreographer Dennis Nahat moved to San Jose to continue operations there. The company was originally known as Ballet San Jose Silicon Valley, but in July 2006 shortened its name to simply Ballet San Jose.
In 2003 the company gained benefactor and current chairman of the board John Fry, co-founder of Fry's Electronics).[1] Fry helped the company survive the dot-com crash and has continued to support the company as it has struggled since. Over the years Ballet San Jose relied increasingly on Fry's support, prompting Loewenstern, founding board chair of Cleveland Ballet and Ballet San Jose, to say "...he bought himself a ballet company."[2]
As of 2007[update], there is a resident company of 44 dancers from 14 countries in four continents, with a repertoire of over 120 traditional and modern classical ballets. Performances at the San Jose Center for the Performing Arts are accompanied by the Symphony Silicon Valley. The Ballet is now a 'fully owned' resident company serving all of Silicon Valley.
On December 23, 2011, Ballet San Jose announced[3] a partnership with American Ballet Theatre (ABT) which will licence the company "to implement ABT's comprehensive National Training Curriculum for dancers".[4]
In January 2012, long-standing conflict between John Fry, the organization's board chairman and primary donor, and Dennis Nahat, the founder and artistic director, resulted in Nahat being forced out of the company. [5] Shortly after, Fry stepped down from the board, leaving Kathy Kolder, Vice President of Fry's Electronics. [6] [7] [8]
[edit] Repertoire
Ballet San Jose Silicon Valley has developed a repertoire of over 120 traditional and modern classical ballets under the direction of founder and artistic director Dennis Nahat. The Company includes dancers from Argentina, Canada, China, Cuba, Denmark, France, Germany, Japan, Russia, Venezuela, Vietnam, and the United States. The repertoire includes ballets by Balanchine, Bournonville, de Mille, and many others, in addition to Nahat's many ballets created especially for the company. The company performs classic ballets such as The Nutcracker and Swan Lake, as well as more modern ballets such as Blue Suede Shoes, based on Elvis Presley's songs.
In 2008, the Company performed an 8-city tour of China. Called the "Goodwill Tour From Silicon Valley," it represented the first international tour of the Company since its move from Cleveland.[9]
[edit] Artistic direction
Preparations for the 2012 season were delayed, with the dancers' contract being finalized in December 2011 and rehearsals for any performances other than The Nutcracker not begun by mid-December.[1] The company's web site on January 5, 2012 had not announced its 2012 season.[10] Although earlier reports [1] [11] that Artistic Director Dennis Nahat might be replaced were subsequently denied,[4] his role in the company remained unclear and the 2012 program will be chosen by the artistic committee and the board of directors.[4] In January 2012, the ballet removed Nahat from his role as artistic director.[12]
[edit] Company
The 2011-2012 company of Ballet San Jose:[13]
[edit] Principals
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[edit] Soloists
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[edit] Corps de ballet
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[edit] Apprentices
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[edit] Education
Today, over 485 students study at the Ballet San Jose Silicon Valley School. [1] The Ballet School's free Education Outreach programs are dedicated to serving young audiences and at-risk children in the San Jose region.
[edit] References
- ^ a b c Hunt, Mary Ellen (December 13, 2011). "San Jose Ballet's Dennis Nahat may be forced out". San Francisco Chronicle. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/12/12/DDQS1MBG4M.DTL. Retrieved January 5, 2012.
- ^ Hunt, Mary Ellen (01/14/2012). SFGate. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2012/01/14/DDJV1MOJT7.DTL. Retrieved 25 January 2012.
- ^ "Ballet San Jose Announces New Artistic and Training Partnership with American Ballet Theatre" (Press release). Ballet San Jose. December 23, 2011. http://www.balletsj.org/PDF/bsj_abt.pdf. Retrieved January 5, 2012.
- ^ a b c Hamlin, Jesse (December 26, 2011). "Ballet San Jose, American Ballet Theatre in deal". San Francisco Chronicle. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/12/25/DDPK1MGH3J.DTL. Retrieved January 5, 2012.
- ^ Hunt, Mary Ellen (01/14/2012). SFGate. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2012/01/14/DDJV1MOJT7.DTL. Retrieved 25 January 2012.
- ^ Hunt, Mary Ellen (01/14/2012). SFGate. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2012/01/14/DDJV1MOJT7.DTL. Retrieved 25 January 2012.
- ^ Scheinin, Richard (January 6, 2012). "John Fry to step down as Ballet San Jose board chair". San Jose Mercury News. http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_19676379. Retrieved January 6, 2012.
- ^ Harmanci, Reyhan (January 5, 2012). "After Disastrous Year, Ballet Tries to Regain Balance". New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/06/arts/dance/ballet-san-jose-in-agreement-with-american-ballet-theater.html. Retrieved January 6, 2012.
- ^ "Goodwill Tour From Silicon Valley" (Press release). Ballet San Jose. February 20, 2008. http://www.balletsj.org/news/ChinaTourPR1.pdf. Retrieved January 5, 2012.
- ^ "Ballet San Jose". www.balletsj.org. Archived from the original on January 5, 2012. http://www.webcitation.org/64S4P769a. "2012 season coming soon".
- ^ "Ballet San Jose A ballet company losing direction". Ballet News. December 14, 2011. http://balletnews.co.uk/ballet-san-jose-a-ballet-company-without-a-season/.
- ^ Hunt, Mary Ellen (January 13, 2012). "Nahat, San Jose Ballet part ways". San Francisco Chronicle. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2012/01/13/DDJV1MOJT7.DTL. Retrieved January 13, 2012.
- ^ Ballet San Jose 2011-2012 Company List. http://balletsj.org/company.html
[edit] External links
- Official website
- Ballet San Jose Silicon Valley Mission and Background, Ballet San Jose, September 25, 2000
- private Boeing 747SP used for Ballet San Jose group tours beginning in 2007
- history of Boeing 747SP airframe 21992 observed displaying Ballet San Jose livery
- JetPhotos.net image of Ballet San Jose Boeing 747SP - December 2007 at San Jose International Airport (as N747FU) after Cleveland tour
- Airliners.net image of Ballet San Jose Boeing 747SP - June 2008 at San Jose International Airport (re-registered as N747A) after China tour
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- Visitor attractions in Silicon Valley
- Ballet companies in the United States
- Culture of San Jose, California
- Dance schools in the United States
- Ballet schools in the United States
- Dance in California
- 1986 establishments in the United States
- Visitor attractions in San Jose, California
- Performing groups established in 1986
