Fight is a pretty strong word, and usually involves confrontation, but for Chula Vista Ballet, a non-profit youth ballet company, fighting is advocating, and that is something they are not backing down from as they strive to keep the classical art of ballet accessible and affordable to families in the South Bay.
With professional ballet companies charging as much as $150 for performances, Chula Vista Ballet (CVB) seeks to bring attention not only to young local talent, but also to keep the art of live theater and the experience of seeing a ballet, at a price that is not that much more than seeing a movie. In a technology-driven society, where kids are plugged into electronics for much of the day, CVB is looking to re-engage people’s imaginations.
“Live theater requires that you let your imagination transport you to the vision expressed on stage,” says CVB President and founder Neisha Hernandez. “Ballet is the ultimate culmination of human beauty, artistic expression, passion, and hard work,” Hernandez went on to say.
With funding for arts programs being slashed from school curriculum, CVB is holding firm to their vision and mission of keeping art alive in our community. Promoting the well-being of their young company dancer members, as well as those in the immediate community, is one of the main drivers of CVB according to their president.
Vanessa McEvoy, board member for CVB, told us that a report from Arts Education Partnership state that “Schoolchildren exposed to drama, music and dance may do a better job at mastering reading, writing and math than those who focus solely on academics.”
Ms. McEvoy says it is reports like the one shared and a commitment to ballet that keeps CVB driven to keep art alive and a part of our community.
“We truly believe ballet enriches the soul of both those who are participants, as well as those who are spectators,” Ms. McEvoy added. “We need more art in our lives and we feel so blessed to be able to spotlight the talent of young dancers while uniting our community,” she concluded.
Chula Vista Ballet will be presenting its holiday show, “The Nutcracker” this Saturday at the Ruth Chapman Theatre at Eastlake High School, with performances at 2pm and 6pm.