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Support Us!
Could You Manage Your Time This Well?
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Dear Visitor,
Imagine, for a moment, that you're a young ballet dancer. You've been attending ballet classes since you were seven years old and you've even danced in several productions. During these years, you've managed to keep your grades up, while you've grown in grace and skill as a dancer.
Imagine further that you're now a high school freshman. You're excited about finally reaching this stage of your life, but there is also a lot of insecurity and fear. Will you be able to make new friends in this sea of strange faces? Can you keep up with the increasing academic pressure? You've got to get accepted into college, or it's the end of the world.
You're continuing to move up in the world of ballet, too, and the program is getting more serious. In addition to the stress of student life, you've also made a twenty-hour-a-week commitment as a company dancer in the Santa Cruz Ballet Theatre. Can you keep going?
You show promise, or you wouldn't be there. Everyone wishes the best for you... supporting you and urging you on. And you do go on. You've made steady progress through the years in this incredibly intricate art form and, now, you're a company dancer. In fact, just being in the company requires a contractual commitment to a higher level of training and strict rehearsal attendance.
While your friends and classmates are attending school functions and hanging out at the mall, you're at the ballet studio, working and rehearsing 'til you drop. It goes on until you get it right. You are now part of a "pre-professional" ballet company, which means you train and rehearse until every member of the company works together like gears in a clock.
Many nights you don't get home until after 9 o'clock. And then there's still some homework or studying to do. The next morning, you get up and do it all over again. But, you love it and you're doing well.
You've just read a description of the life of a typical company dancer in the Santa Cruz Ballet Theatre. Most of the year, they forego exciting activities of a normal childhood in favor of another afternoon and evening at the ballet studio. But, they push on, in pursuit of perfection.
Is it worth it? John Larry Granger, conductor and artistic director of the Santa Cruz County Symphony had this to say: "Santa Cruz Ballet Theatre's Nutcracker is as good as it gets! Folks who have not seen this group perform are missing a true jewel in the crown of Santa Cruz."
How Do They Do It?
Did you know you had such a "jewel" in your community? Have you seen them perform the Nutcracker at the Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium? It's accompanied by a live symphony orchestra and it's dazzling... This performance lights up the eyes of every child in the audience, as they sit in awe of children their own age, up on the stage, making it all happen. For families in the community, it's a magical time.
The company also stages a performance in the Spring at Cabrillo College. The repertoire ranges from Giselle, a technically-challenging ballet that also requires a substantial amount of acting, to mixed-repertory concerts, which require an amazing diversity in athletic abilities. When you see these young dancers perform the In Concert Series, you have to wonder, "...and they prepare for all of this after school every day? How do they do it?"
The Amazing Leverage of a Small Commitment
As popular and well-attended as their performances are, ticket sales fall far short of covering the company's annual budget. The community must help, or the company can't survive. What we're asking you do to is support the huge commitment of the dancers with a small commitment of your own. The truth is... the company can't survive without you.
There are many ways you can help. Is there something there that you would like to sponsor? Would you like to cover the cost of a costume, or a portion of a set? Would you prefer to contribute to the scholarship fund? A contribution in any of these areas will be of tremendous help.
If you decide to become part of our family as a supporting business, you will be recognized in each performance program, as well as being listed as a supporting business on the company website (www.scbt.org).
As government funding for the arts ratchets down, we must take up the slack ourselves. It's up to us; these are our dancers and we have so many reasons to be proud of them.
Your help is absolutely critical in sustaining this incredible group of wonderful young citizens of Santa Cruz. Be recognized as a supporting business. Join our family; we'd love to have you.
Call us... There are ways to support the company to fit any budget. Call us at 477-1606.
Thank you...
Sincerely,
Peter Coe Verbica
Director of Development
P.S. Support the incredible commitment of our hard working dancers with a small commitment of your own. We need you... Become a part of our growing family and be recognized as a supporting individual or business.
Go to Membership Benefits Page to review the various sponsorship levels...
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| | "I'm a person who makes the effort to go to San Francisco and Zellerbach to see all the great dance companies of the world. Dance fans need to know there is something worth seeing, right here, at home."
- Ellen Primack, Executive Director, Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music
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