Mission Statement

To foster creativity, self-esteem, and discipline, through dance, while encouraging participants toward joy in their art. To help people reach their full potential in dance. To reduce barriers to involvement in the art of dance. To serve our area by providing training and productions of the highest possible quality for the health and artistic welfare of the community.

History of the San Angelo Civic Ballet

The San Angelo Civic Ballet, Inc. (SACB) was chartered August 16, 1983 as a 501 c (3) organization. The original organization was created specifically with the purpose of producing “The Nutcracker” for San Angelo, Texas. The organization tailored its operation from seasonal to following an academic year schedule, as the need emerged for high quality training to support the production. SACB’s classes, in the early years, were enjoyed in the historic Cactus Hotel ballroom. The goal has always been to increase community awareness and knowledge of ballet as well as to stimulate interest in dance in general. Ensuring healthy dance practices in all classes has always been important for the organization. Through the years, the SACB Board of Directors has shared these common goals to ensure the success of the Ballet.

Best known for its annual production of “The Nutcracker,” SACB strives to provide area dancers with the opportunity to perform. At the same time, professional dancers from afar have brought enrichment to the quality of the productions and to the experience of the local dancers. Of special note is the accomplishment in the production of the 1999 “Nutcracker” under the direction of Artistic Director Susan Olson which featured the world famous American Ballet Theater ballerina, Paloma Herrerra, Italian born Guisseppe Picone and the Hungarian dancer, Tamas Solymosi. With the highest number of accomplished local dancers in San Angelo’s “Nutcracker” history, the final millennium performance brought the house down in a most spectacular way. In conjunction with “The Nutcracker,” SACB has presented a program called DanceWorks, a lecture/demonstration for second graders that includes excerpts from the ballet, coordinated with the San Angelo Independent School District (SAISD). In many cases, this may be the only exposure to the art of ballet that some of these children will ever receive.

Further, with a focus on promoting literacy, the Storybook Pages program was developed in 1998, under the direction of Director Susan Olson, in order to reach children through the artistic medium of dance. This outreach program encouraged reading by bringing the pages of well-known storybooks to life. The SAISD has brought children to the performance free of charge, along with local private schools. In 1999, Storybook Pages traveled to Ballinger, Texas for a public performance as well. During these years, our current studios at 15 and 17 West Beauregard were purchased. These downtown studios provide space for two simultaneous classes or rehearsals, costume and scenery storage, dressing areas, offices, waiting area, and bathrooms.

In 2000 and 2001, under the leadership of Artistic Director, Brynar Mehl, the SACB experimented with new performances such as “Winter’s Envy”, a modern fairytale. An original Christmastime ballet program presented in collaboration with the San Angelo Singing Girls and Boys Choirs, “Carol of the Birds”, was created to test San Angelo area’s reaction to an interesting option to “The Nutcracker.” However, the modern performance, though artistically interesting, drew small crowds, and ultimately did not bring the revenues or participation needed to sustain the Ballet throughout the year.

Beginning in the summer 2001, the SACB participated in the Summer Arts Conservatory at the nearby downtown First Presbyterian church. This has been a creative venue for bringing in guest artists such as Hollywood’s exciting contemporary dancer and choreographer, Brian Frette; Helene Neilson, child psychologist and creative movement teacher; and Washington, D.C.’s dynamic step dancer and teacher, Jason ‘Jayro‘ Nious. In 2005, SACB Artistic Director Joy Xu McCarthy taught classes at the Conservatory from her native land of China, Ribbon Dance and Chinese Fan Dance. After two very successful years of classes and “Nutcrackers” and a dynamic final performance at the Conservatory, Joy left to join her family in Australia in September 2005. Also, in the spring of 2005, University of Texas dance student and former SACB dancer, Erin Lane, presented a day of modern dance class and a performance. The spring of 2005 also brought an exciting collaboration with Angelo Civic Theatre in the production of “Oklahoma.” The two entities shared rehearsal space, coordinated schedules and shared actors and dancers to bring the city a lively rendition of this Rodger’s and Hammerstein classic for a full mainstage run.

All of these programs depend upon one of the SACB’s strongest offerings to the community, the training at its studios at 15 and 17 W. Beauregard. Without high quality, year-round training, productions could not be supported. This fall of 2006, the SACB is offering classes in five levels of classical ballet, pointe, adult ballet, creative movement, tap, jazz, ballroom dancing, pilates and yoga taught by a staff of five instructors. We have introduced a tuition assistance program to reduce financial barriers to dance education in the City. The studio staff developed a comprehensive policy/procedure manual for distribution to all students. Meghann Bridgeman, who joined the SACB from Ballet Austin as Guest Director for the fall of 2005, became the full-time Director in January 2006. She teaches all levels of ballet as well as choreographing and staging “The Nutcracker.” Our third annual Spring Student Showcase is scheduled for May 2008, a venue for new original works by our own staff. At this performance, the SACB highlights the growth of each SACB dancer in a fun, relaxed environment.

In looking toward the future, the SACB strives to flesh out its mission of dance education, expanding its dance offerings and strengthening its classical ballet base. The SACB also strives to offer the highest quality of productions possible, opening its doors for community participation and meaningful experiences within the ballet realm. In the next year we hope to continue offering the highest quality of dance education, work on the development of the Board of Directors as well as further development of the San Angelo Civic Ballet Guild, participate in outreach arts programs that benefit our community and collaborate with the other arts groups in San Angelo.