San Francisco Ballet Association

The association operates san francisco ballet school and a student residence. Over 700 students are enrolled in the school and 60 advanced students from across the us and around the world reside in the student residence. 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 company. (see sch. O) students ages 2 to 18 follow a structured sequence of training designed to increase their technical skills, stamina, and discipline in accordance with their age and physical development. The program varies according to age and ability and includes classes in ballet technique, pointe work, pas de deux, batterie, conditioning, contemporary dance, and music. Drop-in ballet classes for adult dancers and a program for individuals with parkinson's reach more than 1500 individuals annually. The school also operates a summer session that brings an additional 240 students from around the world to san francisco for rigorous ballet training. The ballet school provides a limited number of tuition and housing scholarships to students based on their financial need or potential to achieve a professional career in ballet, as well as to talented students recruited from sf public schools, through the community scholarship program. Nearly 70% of the dancers in the ballet's professional company trained in the school. Students have also gone on to dance with such companies as american ballet theatre, atlanta ballet, boston ballet, english national ballet, dutch national ballet, hamburg ballet, houston ballet, miami city ballet, national ballet of canada, new york city ballet, oregon ballet theatre, pacific northwest ballet, philadelphia ballet, pittsburgh ballet theatre, royal new zealand ballet, royal winnipeg ballet, vianna opera ballet, and washington ballet among others. Seminars on nutrition, psychology, and related issues are provided throughout the year. The ballet school also operates summer sessions in san francisco for intermediate and advanced dancers from around the us and abroad. Additional programming includes pre-ballet classes for children ages 2-7, adult open ballet classes, repertory workshops, and classes for individuals with parkinson's.

The association provides dance education and community engagement programs to youth, families, and adults throughout the bay area. Programs take place in k-12 schools, at the war memorial opera house, in the chris hellman center for dance, and in the community at large, often in coordination with other community-based organizations, and serve nearly 50,000 community members annually. The dance in schools and communities (disc) program is the largest offering targeting youth and it provides free, standards-based dance education to approximately 3000 students in 37 san francisco unified school district early education and elementary schools through an annual residency program. Talented students are also identified through this program to join san francisco ballet school on scholarship.

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.rental income - the association rents out its conference room and studio space. In addition, the association periodically rents out sets and costumes to other ballet companies and dancers in furtherance of the ballet's exempt purpose.