As our 40th Season unfolds, we’ll be sharing stories, interviews, photographs, and more to commemorate BBT’s milestone anniversary. We hope you follow along as we look back on four decades of ballet and beyond to Berkeley Ballet Theater’s future. Submit your stories and photos to be featured on the blog by emailing info@berkeleyballet.org.
“I stayed at BBT because I saw that kids here get to have an experience that I wished I'd had when I was their age. I like how good the training is. I think the faculty are pretty extraordinary and the opportunities the kids have to participate in and perform are incredible.” - Ali Taylor Lange, Executive Director
Read More“My goal as a dance educator is to help all my students develop a stronger passion for the arts through the artistic practice of dance. In my approach to teaching ballet, I emphasize building strong, healthy dancing bodies, minds, and hearts..” - Milissa Payne-Bradley, BBT Faculty
Read More“When I was a professional dancer, which was quite a long time ago, there were dancers in ballet companies in the 70s who could say to their directors, ‘you know I'm really just a classical dancer. You can put me in Giselle, Swan Lake, Nutcracker (things that are based on classical technique). I'm not so comfortable doing the Twyla Tharp work or the Mark Morris work.’ And, at that time, that was possible. A director could honor that request or that sensibility, and there were people who started to define themselves that way. You can't do that now, everybody's got to be able to do contemporary work.” - Susan Weber, Dance for PD® Director, Studio Company Advisor
Read More“I aim to broaden the definition of wellness to encompass a fuller spectrum of emotions, experiences, and physical appearances that make the human experience rich and beautiful.” - Rosie Ueng, Nutrition & Wellness Advisor
Read More“BBT has been a huge part of my life. I know everyone and am friends with everyone. I don’t know how many other places would be like that. But here, I have a place to be. I get very emotional. But I feel very strongly that I always had someone to support me at BBT.” - Kaori Ogasawara, BBT Faculty
Read More“BBT was a place whose instructors gave me hope and reassurance. I was being trained well, with better technique than I had previously, and was treated with respect and optimism. I didn't experience false hopes nor put-downs. It was a very grounding education.” - Isabel Umali, BBT Alum
Read More“My advice for a BBT dancer who would like to become a professional would be to work hard every day in class and absorb everything you can from your teachers and fellow students. As a professional dancer, you will never be done learning and growing; it is a constant process of striving for more.” - Cecily Khuner, BBT Alum
Read More“I had already been committed to my training when I came to BBT, but I credit it with giving me my ‘finishing touches’ that allowed for my acceptance at Juilliard and my long career beyond. In particular, the emphasis on honing expression…” - Laura Mead, BBT Alum
Read More“I believe in seeing and honoring individuality in young children, so whenever possible, I provide moments where students can share their thoughts, ideas and demonstrate their creativity and skills.” - Rachel Caldwell, BBT Faculty
Read More“I approach teaching and in-studio work as an opportunity to empower dancers, broaden community, and foster a love of movement and creativity. I believe in giving space to connect and learn the fundamentals via free play and task-based games that engage students through exploration.” - Lindsay Leonard, BBT Faculty
Read More“In the studio, I expect professionalism, dedication and safety, and fun. We are all there to inspire each other.” - Victor Talledos, BBT Faculty
Read More“…I can’t be more grateful for what BBT has taught me. All the teachers have been very kind, patient, and above all, professional, which in turn has encouraged me to discover myself and share what I’ve personally learned with the class.” - Sky Tan, BBT Faculty
Read MoreIn May of 2018, Robert Dekkers began rehearsals for his “One and All,” a work conceived to include dancers from BBT’s Youth, Adult Open, and Dance for PD® programs. Meris Emory, Shelly Forster, Sarah Hardesty, and Liz Shepherd made up two Dance for PD® casts. The following is an edited version of an interview with the quartet from December 2020.
Read More“I believe that BBT is different from other organizations in the approach. At BBT, dance is inclusive and for everybody. This means we dance to bring ourselves closer to one another to create a safe space for community and lasting relationships beyond the studio.” - Jenna Marie, BBT Faculty
Read More“ I do my best to push every individual to their next level in the most positive way that I can. My goal for all of my students is to feel expression and freedom in their movement and technique.” - Robert Greer, BBT Faculty
Read More“BBT to me was more than a ballet school. It was kind of my therapy and within the community, I had people I needed.“ - Yuki Yamanishi
Read More“The role requires stamina not only for the dancing but also for the acting. I remember Zoe and I meticulously thinking through the emotions communicated in every gesture, every exchange. I was lucky to dance Fritz alongside one of my greatest friends…The challenge was to translate that organic friendship into moments that read effectively for the audience…” - Nicholas Rio
Read More“But what gave it staying power was the push-pull of Sally’s pure dances against the warmth and ideas of Robbie’s dramaturgy…As the New York Times critic Alastair Macaulay put it in an admiring review ten years ago: BBT gave ‘a Nutcracker experience in some ways fuller – more touching, more about human connections – than San Francisco Ballet’s.’” - Paul Parish
Read More“But at BBT, there is a spirit of support and love for each other…There is a great deal of friendship with dancers during and before class. There is a lot of respect for the instructors and each other.” - Isabelle Burgess-Corkins
Read More“I agreed to come into the morning class that Sally was teaching, with the understanding that both of us could say no with no hard feelings. Sally was very positive and very encouraging, so I went ahead and did it. And then I did The Nutcracker like a minute and a half later. I’ve apparently been Fritz for half of the time it’s been playing.” - Brian Fisher
Read More
