BERKELEY BALLET THEATER
1370 10th Street, Berkeley, CA 94710 www.berkeleyballet.org

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Organizations Filed Purposes: Berkeley Ballet Theater's mission is to provide rigorous classical ballet training in a diverse and nurturing environment to students of all ages and to enrich the community by providing the joy of dance to everyone. BBT offers the highest quality dance training from beginning to professional levels, supports a preprofessional youth company, introduces ballet to young audiences through an outreach program, is committed to access, diversity, and equity in students and faculty, offers special classes to boys and provides economic assistance to promising dancers in need of financial assistance.

Berkeley Ballet Theater's mission is to provide rigorous classical ballet training in a diverse and nurturing environment to students of all ages and to enrich the community by providing the joy of dance to everyone.

SCHOOL: YOUTH DIVISION: BBT's Youth Division provided 135 dancers the opportunity to study classical ballet in a disciplined, professional atmosphere that is also supportive of each student's unique talents, passions, and creative voice. Bringing rigorous training into an inclusive space. BBT's Youth Division equips students with exceptional training that can carry them into a professional dance career or a lifelong, meaningful connection to ballet. The nurturing, encouraging, and body positive environment at BBT also gives students the confidence and persistence to make an impact in whatever life path they choose. PRE-BALLET:112 Dancers in BBT's Pre-Ballet Division enjoyed a mix of physical movement, creative play, exploration in rhythm and shape, as well as lessons in taking turns, holding still, confidence, patience, and listening. The goal is to instill a love of dance that carries them throughout the rigorous training that comes upon entering the Youth Division. ADULT DIVISION: BBT provided classical ballet and modern dance classes to 1198 adult dancers as well as offering private training to interested dancers.

PRODUCTION: BBT stages two major full-length productions for it's Youth Division. The annual holiday production of The Nutcracker as well as its Spring Performance Series. Engaging lessons learned in the studio and sharing in the thrill of live performance, these opportunities are pivotal to the dancer's growth and provide context to the students' rigorous ballet training. Advanced members of the Youth Division participated in the BBT Youth Company and performed around the East Bay. .

Dance for PD originated as a collaboration between the Mark Morris Dance Group and the Brooklyn Parkinson Group, a chapter of the National Parkinson Foundation. The Dance for PD teaching method is built on one fundamental premise: professionally-trained dancers are movement experts whose knowledge is useful to persons with PD. Dancers know all about stretching and strengthening muscles, and about balance and rhythm. Most importantly, dancers know how to use their thoughts, imagination, eyes, ears and touch to control their movements. While dancing, whether in chairs, at a barre, or standing, everyone in the class explores comfortable dance movements in an enjoyable, non-pressured, social environment in which live music energizes, enriches and empowers. These classes are appropriate for anyone with Parkinson's disease, no matter how advanced. No dance experience is required. The classes combine elements of modern dance, ballet, tap, social dancing, Mark Morris' choreography and other repertoire to create an enjoyable, stimulating, artistic experience for people with PD. The method has been presented at the International Congress for Parkinson's in Berlin 2005 and the World Parkinson Congress in Washington, D.C. 2006. Articles about the class have appeared in Neurology Now, among other publications. All classes include live musical accompaniment. In 2018-19 our Dance forPD program continued to offer weekly classes in both Berkeley and San Francisco in partnership with PDSF Network. Berkeley average weekly attendance rose to over 20 people with Parkinson's disease and 4-5 accompanying family members or caregivers. The Dance for PD Program served 150 dancers in 2018-19 fiscal year.

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