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Southern California Ballet offers more than ballet

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Looking for classes for your little dancer? Southern California Ballet offers a wide variety of youth dance classes.

Southern California Ballet, at 12285 World Trade Drive, Suite K in Carmel Mountain Ranch, has been teaching young dancers for over 30 years in a variety of styles, including ballet, tap, jazz and modern.

It began life as the Black Mountain Dance Centre, founded by Sylvia Palmer and her husband, Mark Zetler, in 1983. In 1985, they formed the nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization Black Mountain Dance Foundation, which was later renamed Southern California Ballet.

In April, Southern California Ballet’s board of directors officially took over running the Black Mountain Dance Centre, said Kate Hirsh, executive director and instructor for the Southern California Ballet. Sylvia Palmer remains the artistic director for Southern California Ballet.

“This board of volunteer moms took over,” said Hirsh.

Some of the volunteers and mothers of current dancers and students were once dancers with the company and have returned to help out. “We’re like one big family that keeps going and going,” said Hirsh. “All these people giving their talents and services to make stuff happen.”

The dancers are currently preparing for the ballet’s 24th annual performance of The Nutcracker, Saturday Dec. 12 and Sunday, Dec. 13 at the Poway Center for the Performing Arts. Tickets and more information are available at southerncaliforniaballet.org.

The show will feature the return of Martha Leebolt, Southern California Ballet alum and international ballet star, as the Sugar Plum Fairy. Leebolt also performed in the role last year.

In addition to their three public shows, the ballet will also be performing four shows for school children, part of their ongoing public outreach. “Over the years, the Southern California Ballet has served about 40,000 schoolchildren in outreach performances,” said Hirsh.

The company is currently made up of 10 dancers ranging in age from 14 to 19 and is complemented with guest artists from professional companies. Many of the company dancers are students within the Poway Unified School District, said Hirsh, while others homeschool to allow them to focus on their dance career.

Company dancers are required to practice and study advanced dance techniques for at least 15 hours a week. “(The time requirements) are the reason why (this company) works and builds such great dancers,” said Hirsh. “These are disciplined, organized girls.”

Southern California Ballet follows the Cecchetti curriculum for dance, a safety-conscious program that requires its instructors to be certified before teaching.

“We’re the only ones south of Los Angeles who use it,” said Hirsh. “Teachers must be certified to teach it. All our teachers have had careers in dance, masters degrees in dance. They’re highly educated as far as dance is concerned.” Hirsh herself is a former dancer who performed in Canada when she was younger, and her daughter studies with Southern California Ballet.

Ballet classes include introduction to dance, for ages 3 to 5; pre-primary and primary ballet, for ages 5 to 7; and classical ballet, for ages 8 to adult.

Other classes available include freestyle ballet, jazz, modern dance and character dance, which focuses on Eastern European traditional folk dances. “We have pretty much everything,” said Hirsh.

For more information on classes or to register, call 858-674-1006, email FReilly@southerncaliforniaballet.org or visit southerncaliforniaballet.org.

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