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Oakland Ballet

The Oakland Ballet Company, based in Oakland, California, is an internationally acclaimed ballet production company. The Oakland Ballet was revamped into the new company in 1965 by Ronn Guidi, a choreographer and dancer of international repute. Since its inception, the Oakland Ballet has performed many unforgettable classic ballets of European and American origin. But the ballet that earned the company nationwide attention was Billy the Kid. The 1938 masterpiece, set in an Aaron Copland score, had the audience spellbound. Other masterpieces presented by the company include European classics such as La Boutique Fantasque, Gaïté Parisienne, Le Spectre de la Rose, Pétrouchka and Schéhérazade. The repertoire also includes American works such as John Butler's Carmina Burana, Jose Limon's The Moor's Pavane, and Ruthanna Boris's Cakewalk Many of these American works are products of the 20th century, created by masters like Leonide Massine, Agnes de Mille, and Antony Tudor. The Oakland Ballet Company is currently headed by Karen Brown, the first African-American woman in the nation to direct a ballet company. Apart from producing full-length ballets, the company holds regular pre-ballet classes for children. The company depends on donations and sponsorships in its endeavor for bringing ballet of the highest quality to its audience.