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Representing Yuma and Arizona with Excellence
Now entering its 17th year under the direction of Jon Cristofori and Kathleen Sinclair, Ballet Yuma is recognized nationally as one of the best pre-professional ballet companies in the country. It is Arizona’s sole representative in Regional Dance America (RDA) as an Honor Company. Graduates have gone on to dance professionally with highly regarded companies including San Francisco Ballet, Sacramento Ballet, Houston Ballet, American Ballet Theatre’s Studio Company, Boston Ballet, Ballet Memphis, Miami City Ballet, Texas Ballet Theater, Les Ballet Trockadero de Monte Carlo, Louisville Ballet, Atlanta Ballet, Missouri Contemporary, and Ballet Idaho.
Providing Education, Development, Experience
Ballet Yuma, through performance experience, Company training, and development from the earliest stages at its official school, Yuma Ballet Academy, provides a learning experience which extends a positive influence far beyond the dance floor. From Early Childhood Development classes to upper level training, from ballet to contemporary, students build personal discipline leading to a practiced professionalism in both preparation and performance. As evidenced by the numerous Ballet Yuma dancers who have been accepted to train with or have become members of professional companies, students are availed the opportunity to grow to the point that they are prepared to step into the professional world. Ballet Yuma has been awarded Honor Company status with RDA as much for the education its students receive as for their acknowledged excellence in performance.
Reaching Out to an Expanding Community
The positive influence of the arts increases proportionally with the number of lives it touches. To this end, Ballet Yuma presented special performances for hundreds of local students during its 2009/10 season. When possible, guest performers are presented, broadening the experience of local audiences and dancers alike. This past season, guest soloists performed with the Company in The Nutcracker and Giselle, and nationally known choreographer Daniel Marshall inspired Ballet Yuma students as he guest-taught several class sessions and choreographed a work performed by Company dancers at Ballet Yuma’s Evening With Daniel Marshall in April, and at the RDA Pacific Region Festival in May. |