Oakland Ballet Company

Oakland Ballet Company - Combining Tradition with Innovation

Oakland Ballet Company, one of the Bay Area's oldest dance companies, will celebrate a great milestone in 2018 - a 53-year legacy of ensuring that the art of dance is exciting, relevant, and accessible for Bay Area community members.

Oakland Ballet Company (OBC) is a non-profit, performing arts organization encompassing a professional performing company, an Academy providing training for the next generation of dancers, and an acclaimed educational program, Discover Dance, which provides arts education for more than 20,000 students every year.

THE PROFESSIONAL COMPANY:

Under the leadership of internationally acclaimed choreographer, Artistic Director Graham Lustig, Oakland Ballet Company is passionately committed to presenting performances that are family-friendly, accessible, and relevant to the multicultural makeup of Bay Area. This year, Oakland Ballet will present four exciting performances:

Jangala
March 10, 2:30 pm at Skyline High School in Oakland
March 13, 7:00 pm at Castro Valley High School in Castro Valley

A family-friendly performance inspired by Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Book.

Fusing contemporary ballet with south Indian classical Bharatanatyam dance, Jangala follows the story of Mowgli, a lost boy who is adopted by a pack of wolves and must use his wits to survive in the wild. OBC's version of Kipling's classic tale is set in an urban city, and danced to an all Indian music score including classical ragas, bhangra, and folkloric music from across India.

Created in collaboration with master Bharatanatyam dancer and teacher Renuku Srinivasan of the Tala Shruti Dance School, Jangala's combination of classical Indian dance and modern ballet, makes this an exciting and innovative performance that is enjoyable for adults and children alike.

Oakland Ballet Company is thrilled to cast Sanchit Babbar in the role of Mowgli. Sanchit was born in and began his dance training in Delhi, India. This will be his second performance with OBC. Nadhi Thekkek, a renowned Bay Area Bharatanatyam dancer and teacher and Artistic Director of Nava Dance Theatre, will play the role of his mother.

The dancers and musicians of Nadhi Thekkek's Nava Dance Theatre, a renowned Bay Area dance company specializing in Bharatanatyam dance, will join Oakland Ballet Company for this exciting new program - premiering a new work of their own.

Tickets: $25 with discounts for children and seniors. A special VIP package is available for $50 and includes VIP performance seating and a post-performance meet the artists reception.

Spring Gala
May 19, 6:00 pm
The Bellevue Club in Oakland

Oakland Ballet Company's Spring Gala is a fun and glamorous evening to raise money for the Discover Dance educational program. Gala attendees enjoy the chance to mingle with OBC dancers during cocktail hour, a 3-course dinner, preview performances of "Scene and Heard," the 2018 repertory program; live music and a silent auction featuring luxury vacations, round trip plane tickets, wine packages from local wineries, and more.

Tickets: $200 for an individual ticket, $2,500 for a table of 10.

Scene and Heard
May 31, 7:30 pm, June 1, 7:30 pm, and June 2, 2:30 pm and 7:30 pm
Laney College Theater in Oakland

Scene and Heard, Oakland Ballet Company's 2018 repertory season, will feature a mix of all new, contemporary works of dance, choreographed by six different Bay Area choreographers.

Tickets: $30-40 with discounts for children and seniors. A special VIP package is available for $50 and includes VIP performance seating and a post-performance meet the artists reception.

Luna Mexicana
November 2, 7:00 pm
The Paramount Theatre in Oakland
Other dates to be added

Luna Mexicana is a family-friendly performance filled with festive dancing, colorful costumes, and vibrant music in celebration of Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead). In Luna Mexicana, a young woman's dreams revive her relatives and friends who dance back to life in the forms of teetering skeletons, skirt swishing girls, a high flying "deer dancer," and a deathly Bride and Groom.

Along with "Luna Mexicana," Nahui-Ehekatl and Co. will showcase traditional Aztec dance, Ballet Folklorico Mexico Danza will highlight the beautiful, cultural heritage of Mexico through folkloric dance, and Mariachi Mexicanisimo will provide lively Mariachi music.

Audience members are encouraged to attend in Day of the Dead attire and arrive early to enjoy the festivities in the theater lobby before and after the performance.

Tickets: $20-45 with discounts available for children and seniors.

Graham Lustig's The Nutcracker
December 22 at 1:00 pm and 5:00 pm
December 23 at 1:00 pm
The Paramount Theatre in Oakland

Join Marie and her charming Nutcracker Prince as they battle the King of the Rats and then get swept away by dancing snowflakes to the magical Land of the Sweets. Oakland Ballet's version of this timeless holiday classic features fresh and spirited dancing, magnificent scenery, and colorful costumes - all to Tchaikovsky's brilliant score performed by the Oakland Symphony. Brimming with magic, this is a holiday tradition that is fun for the entire family!

Tickets: $23-90 with discounts for children and seniors.

DISCOVER DANCE EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM:

OBC's "Discover Dance" education and community engagement program serves students, teachers, and community members throughout Oakland and the greater East Bay. This acclaimed program provides arts education and access to live dance performance for more than 20,000 students and community members each season.

"Discover Dance" offerings include in-school assemblies, educational student matinees, and donations of tickets to local organizations that serve low-income community members.

THE ACADEMY AT OAKLAND BALLET:

The Academy at Oakland ballet provides ballet training to students ages 3 through 17, starting with pre-ballet and up into the more advance levels. The Academy's focus is to provide classical ballet training, develop artistic expression through dance, and build self-confidence in a nurturing class environment. Class sizes are kept small to ensure that each student received individual attention and children from all backgrounds are encouraged to attend.

Classes are offered weekly on Saturdays, September through May. In July, a three-week summer intensive program, "Ballet Boot Camp" is offered for those dancers who are more serious about their training.

For more information about Oakland Ballet Company, to become a season sponsor, purchase performance tickets, or enroll your child in The Academy, visit www.oaklandballet.org or call 510-893-3132.