Welcome to the exciting experience of watching your
child grow through the exposure to the world of
dance. We know there are many venues in choosing
dance for your child. Therefore we offer below some
important things to consider when selecting a dance school.
We are dedicated to safe and correct
technique, the development of artistry and providing a
supportive and dignified environment for your
student. Many of our students begin in our
program as early as three years old and stay with us
through high school and beyond. In fact, we now have
the children and grandchildren of former students here
at the Center!
Our Director is a Fellow of Cecchetti
USA and is an examiner for the organization. Our
staff are all professionals in their field or are
carefully trained in our teacher training
program. Be wary of teachers who may have been
professional dancers but know nothing about
teaching! Many former professional dancers have
no idea how to train a beginning student. A
professional career is no substitute for careful
teacher training. The standard of teaching at the
Santa Barbara Ballet Center is a high priority.
Our classes are carefully graded to
provide age appropriate training. Utilizing the
Cecchetti syllabus ensures a careful progression as
the dancer advances through the levels of the school
and provides a consistent basis of training adhered to
by all teachers in the school. Our students take the
Cecchetti examinations each year, being evaluated by
an outside eye. Our students consistently
perform well in these examinations assuring you that
the teachers are doing their job. In addition we
provide a program for young students to work as
assistants and demonstrators as well as a
comprehensive teacher training program leading toward
certification for those who desire to pursue a degree.
Our program has consistently produced
professional dancers and well educated art
enthusiasts. One of our alumni is currently a
principal dancer with the Colorado Ballet, another has
his own company in New York, another a well received
choreographer, and several can be found in ballet
companies throughout the country.
Our pre-professional company, The Santa
Barbara Festival Ballet provides opportunities for
students to work alongside professional dancers. The
Festival Ballet performs an annual production of the
Nutcracker, one of few in California performed with
live orchestra. Other repertoire includes
evenings of classical and contemporary ballet, other
full-length ballets and collaborations with other
entities. As students progress through the school the
performance opportunities grow commiserate with their
level of commitment and ability. With the exception of
the annual June recital, rehearsals are never held
during class times. This ensures that technique
is not sacrificed for performance, that students not
participating in the performance are not left out and
the performance experience is conducted
professionally.
Thank you for considering our program. We invite you
to join us to observe or try a class at any time. The
education of your child is important. Please join our
dance family at the Santa Barbara Ballet Center.