圣.何塞芭蕾舞团介绍

    圣.何塞芭蕾舞团的宗旨是为观众提供最专业的芭蕾舞演出, 以最高的艺术标准为社会的文化需要贡献着自己的力量, 并努力使更多的海外观众欣赏到他们的艺术. 圣.何塞还非常重视通过芭蕾学校为儿童和成年人提供艺术方面的教学项目，致力于最专业的培训和丰富社会文化艺术氛围。

    1983年，几个充满艺术理想的人期望能在飞速发展的硅谷建立一支世界级的芭蕾舞团。随后，圣何塞城市中心芭蕾舞团成立了。1986年，这个芭蕾舞团与早以盛名远洋的克里弗兰芭蕾舞团合并，并在此后的合作中成就了美国舞蹈史里最成功的共同合作之舞蹈团体。在董事会对于圣何塞芭蕾舞团的支持下，2000年在与克里弗兰的共同风险模式合作结束之后，一个新的圣何塞芭蕾舞团诞生了。

    舞团成立之后，致力于最高水平的古典芭蕾舞剧目的制作和演出。2006年至2007年，圣何塞制作了四部大型的芭蕾舞作品并把她们搬上舞台。丹尼斯.纳哈特，芭蕾舞团的艺术/执行总监，凭借着个人敏锐的判断力和对古典及现代芭蕾的理解，运营着这个“舞蹈演员的公司”，并带领着芭蕾舞团不断向前发展。它所呈现出的舞蹈除了娱乐性外还具备很高的艺术价值，以便广泛地满足各种不同的观众需要。在圣何塞芭蕾舞团的80多个作品当中，有一多半都是纳哈特创作的，同时，他还经常参与其他艺术家的音乐和舞蹈的创作。对于纳哈特在保护和发扬舞蹈艺术上所做出的贡献和成绩，他已经被三次授予“伊莎多拉.邓肯”奖，同时还被授予美国舞蹈协会奖。丹尼斯.纳哈特还经常被邀请作为评委参加国家或国际的舞蹈编舞大赛。

    从他们的第一个演出季开始，芭蕾舞团便开始提供教学项目，让大众喜欢并参与到艺术当中来。这个项目已经让成千上万的孩子参与了进来，并着重针对那些“处在危险中的”或者没有机会接触表演艺术的学生。仅仅2007年至2008年，该项目就接受了12,000个这样的培训对象。

    1995年，我们成立了自己的专业芭蕾学校，为走职业道路的或业余的学生提供芭蕾教育。2005年，来自这个学校的学生赢得了意大利两项最高级别的舞蹈比赛的大奖。让全世界都开始关注这个具有高水平教学的芭蕾舞学校。学校提供严格高级的芭蕾课程，运用先进的技术和经典的方法，并开设为期4周的暑期“芭蕾强化”课程。在将近400个正式学员当中，有些已经加入了我们圣何塞芭蕾舞团，以及其他的专业舞蹈演出团体。

    BALLET SAN JOSE BACKGROUND

    Ballet San Jose’s mission is to provide our audiences with professional ballet performances that are produced to the highest artistic standard, which contribute to the cultural needs of the community, and are accessible to the broadest possible audience.  The Company is firmly committed to providing arts education for children and adults through a ballet school and free outreach programs, focusing on both professional training and on general community enrichment.

    In 1983 a small group of arts visionaries dreamed of starting a world-class ballet company to serve the rapidly growing Silicon Valley, and City Center Ballet of San Jose was born.  In 1986, City Center Ballet merged with the renowned Cleveland Ballet and San Jose-Cleveland Ballet became one of the truly successful co-ventures in the history of American Dance.  While supporting our dancers from the outset, the Board explicitly reaffirmed that support as a ‘core commitment’ with the Companys’ relocation to San Jose in 2000, when the co-venture with Cleveland ended and the “new” Ballet San Jose was born.  Fostering a resident company of  U.S. and international dance artists of ‘world class’ standing became of central importance.

    At its founding, the Company's main focus was production of ballet performances of the highest standard, drawing on historical ballet repertory, the work of Artistic/Executive Director Dennis Nahat, and contemporary choreographers.  In 2006-2007, the company staged four full-length productions as well as a varied repertory program and a free ‘community matinee’ among the performance selections.  Ballet programming is developed by the Juilliard-trained, Dennis Nahat, and Lise La Cour, Director of Ballet San Jose School (formerly Associate Ballet Director with the Royal Danish Ballet), and in collaborations with other choreographers of renown.  Nahat is known for running a 'dancer's company', for his powerful dramatic sense, and for his understanding of both historical and contemporary repertory.  He presents dance as total theatrical entertainment, as well as high art, in order to have performances appeal broadly to the diverse and sophisticated audiences of Silicon Valley.  As a working artist he has created over half of the more than 80 works in our repertory and commissions dance works and music from other artists.  In addition, Nahat has been recognized with three Isadora Duncan awards, for reviving and preserving dance treasures, as well as the American Dance Guild Award for outstanding achievement in dance, and is frequently invited to judge and choreograph for both national and international dance competitions.

    From its first season, the Company offered education/outreach programming, providing the general community  with the means to enjoy and participate in the arts, and this program has introduced tens of thousands of  children to live theater productions, targeting those students who are ‘at risk’, and who would not otherwise have access to the performing arts. This program will reach more than 12,000 constituents in 2007-2008 alone.
In 1995 we founded our professional ballet school, to offer ballet instruction to professional-track and community students.  In 2005, students from the school received two first-place awards in an international dance competition held in Cessena, Italy, bringing world attention to the high caliber and quality of  instruction in the Ballet San Jose School.  The school offers a rigorous and progressive ballet curriculum, with an emphasis on the Bournonville technique among other classic methods, and a four-week summer ‘dance intensive’ program.  With enrollment nearing 400, Ballet San Jose School has graduated dancers from the Professional Division who have joined our company, as well as other professional dance companies.