Ballet San Jose facts for kids

Ballet San Jose was a ballet company located in San Jose, California, USA. It brought amazing ballet performances to audiences from 1985 until 2016.

History of Ballet San Jose

The company started in 1985 as the "San Jose Cleveland Ballet." It was a special partnership with the Cleveland Ballet. This partnership allowed dancers to perform more often. It also gave both cities a ballet company without huge costs.

In 2000, the Cleveland Ballet stopped performing. More than half of the dancers, the main office, and the artistic director, Dennis Nahat, moved to San Jose. They continued the company there. The company was first called Ballet San Jose Silicon Valley. In July 2006, they shortened the name to just Ballet San Jose.

In 2003, John Fry, who helped start Fry's Electronics, became a big supporter. He gave the company a lot of money. Mr. Fry helped the company get through tough financial times. He continued to support them until the company closed in 2016.

By 2007, Dennis Nahat was still the artistic director. The company had 44 dancers from 14 different countries. They knew over 120 different classical ballet and modern dances. Their shows at the San Jose Center for the Performing Arts were often with the Symphony Silicon Valley. The Ballet became a local company for all of Silicon Valley.

On December 23, 2011, Ballet San Jose and John Fry announced a partnership. They teamed up with American Ballet Theatre (ABT). This meant Ballet San Jose could use ABT's special training program for dancers. They could also perform some of ABT's famous dances.

In January 2012, Dennis Nahat left his role as artistic director. John Fry explained that ABT's artistic director would not work with the company if Nahat was still there. Soon after, John Fry also left the board of directors. Kathy Kolder from Fry's Electronics stayed on the board.

For two seasons, the artistic direction was shared. Raymond Rodriguez, a main dancer, and Wes Chapman, a retired ABT dancer, led the company. George Daugherty became the Music Director in August 2012. In September 2013, José Manuel Carreño became the new Artistic Director.

In March 2015, the company faced financial difficulties. They needed to raise $550,000 to keep going. The CEO at the time, Stephanie Ziesel, left the company. Alan Hineline became the new CEO. He tried to help the company pay off its debts and improve its business. The fundraising helped, but the debts were still too high. Hineline then resigned.

In September 2015, the company changed its name again. It became Silicon Valley Ballet. This was to show they were part of the wider Silicon Valley area. In early 2016, Silicon Valley Ballet went on a tour to Spain. They performed a program called "Director's Choice." When they returned to San Jose, they performed the same program. This turned out to be their very last show.

In March 2016, the Ballet announced it was closing down. About 30 dancers and all staff lost their jobs. However, the ballet school stayed open. It became The New Ballet School. It still uses the ABT approved training program. Former dancers Dalia Rawson and Alexsandra Meijer now run the school.

What They Performed (Repertoire)

The company had a huge collection of dances, called a repertoire. Under Dennis Nahat, they performed over 120 traditional and modern ballets. Dancers from many countries, like Argentina, China, Cuba, and the United States, performed these dances.

Their repertoire included ballets by famous choreographers like Balanchine and Bournonville. They performed classic ballets such as Giselle, The Nutcracker, and Swan Lake. They also performed more modern ballets. One unique modern ballet was Nahat's Blue Suede Shoes, which used songs by Elvis Presley.

In 2008, Nahat arranged a special tour for the company. They went to 8 cities in China. This was called the "Goodwill Tour From Silicon Valley." It was their first international tour since moving from Cleveland.

Under the new artistic director, José Manuel Carreño, the 2015/2016 season had new shows. These included Alicia Alonso's Giselle and a new Nutcracker by Karen Gabay. They also performed the "Director’s Choice" program. This program featured dances like Ohad Naharin's Minus 16 and Jorma Elo's Glow Stop. This was the same program they performed on their tour to Spain.

Education

The Ballet San Jose School started in 1996. When the main company closed, the school became its own separate organization. It is now called The New Ballet School. It is approved by the American Ballet Theater. Dalia Rawson, a former dancer, is the executive director.

• Private Boeing 747SP used for Ballet San Jose group tours beginning in 2007