Berkeley City Ballet was founded as East Bay Ballet Theater in 1974 by Grace Doty and was renamed Berkeley City Ballet and moved to its current location in 1992. BCB has a prolific legacy at succeeding in preparing dancers to be competitive on a national and international level for pre-professional summer intensive workshops, professional auditions and college entrance auditions. Berkeley City Ballet is committed to its mission of bringing cultural enrichment, as well as an awareness and appreciation for the art of dance, to the diverse East Bay.
Berkeley City Ballet offers a structured learning environment with a curriculum that develops ballet technique (skills) over time from beginner to professional. Within an academy setting, and a close knit community, students are nurtured, while also challenged, to fulfill their best potential as dancers.
Students often begin lessons at a young age and grow up in the school. This gives them a special community, committed to them for the long-term. In this community they gain skills, not only in ballet and dance, but also skills such as discipline, focus, respect, confidence, bravery, team-work, and poise.
All of these skills support the student for a lifetime regardless of what profession they may choose to pursue. BCB believes that learning to dance well can also be fun and that each student can gain immensely from this art form.
With this training, students also gain essential performance experiences at every stage of development beginning with Visting Days (demonstrating technical growth), to Nutcracker, Spring Concert, and Summer Workshop performances.
Location and Buildings:
We are located in a family neighborhood close to downtown Berkeley, the University of California Berkeley, Bart, and bus lines.
BCB is situated within a gated entrance and nestled around a garden-courtyard lined with benches. The school has two state-of-the-art studios with mirrors, sprung floors, marley surfaces, as well as professional sound, and light systems. The large studio (Studio A) transforms into a Studio Theater seating 60 people.