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Organization
Ballet San Jose
Ballet San Jose, founded in 1986, is a resident company serving the Silicon Valley region. Under the artistic direction of Dennis Nahat, it has become known as one of this country's most innovative, classically-based ballet companies. With a resident company of over thirty dancers, Ballet San Jose includes dancers from Austria, Cuba, Japan, France, Argentina, Vietnam, Denmark and the United States. Its diversity is further reflected in the company's broad repertoire of over 120 traditional and modern ballets, from the holiday classic The Nutcracker to the contemporary Blue Suede Shoes.
Its school provides classes for students from four years old to Adult. It offers a convenient schedule and a variety of classes for students of all ages and ability levels.
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Contact Info
Ballet San Jose
40 N. 1st Street
San Jose, CA 95113Phone: 408-288-2820
Fax: 408-993-9570
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Member Reviews
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Event Name: A Midsummer Night's Dream
"Nahat's Joyous Romp in the Woods"
Comment posted by: Chronicle Dance Critic from San Francisco, CA USA, Mar 19, 2009
Excerpts from SF Chronicle review, October 1999. "Immensely enjoyable." Nahat's "Dream"--about runaway lovers in the woods and one monumental misunderstanding in bed--is filled with foolish mortals... Expand
Excerpts from SF Chronicle review, October 1999. "Immensely enjoyable." Nahat's "Dream"--about runaway lovers in the woods and one monumental misunderstanding in bed--is filled with foolish mortals and gods who are no wiser. There are matches and mismatches, and ultimately there is joy. The overall impact is one of glee. [It] may not be the adult comedy Shakespeare created, the cautionary tale about waking up next to a stranger after a night of midsummer madness, but what [Nahat] brings to the table is an infectious sense of fun. Collapse
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Event Name: A Midsummer Night's Dream
"Shakespeare Without Words...Are You Kidding Me?"
Comment posted by: Lee Kopp from San Jose, CA USA, Mar 19, 2009
I actually work for the company, so this is COMMENT only...not a review. I saw this piece back in 1999 and was blown away. I could not imagine telling a story by the most celebrated playwright in the... Expand
I actually work for the company, so this is COMMENT only...not a review. I saw this piece back in 1999 and was blown away. I could not imagine telling a story by the most celebrated playwright in the English language...without using his words! But I was just blown away. Dennis Nahat is such a great storyteller. He has kept all the characters. There is Hermia who loves Lysander, but her father says, "no; you must marry Demitrius. And Helena who loves Demitrius, but Demitrius wants Hermia. And Oberion, King of the Night who is fighting with Titania the Queen of the Fairies over a changeling child. And, of course, Puck and Bottom and the Rustics rehearsing their play in the forest. You know exactly what is going on the whole time. And the MUSIC...Mendelssohn played live by Symphony Silicon Valley...is just great. And the sets and costumes; gorgeous, and award-winning. I could go on and on, but I'm out of room. Just do yourself (and your kids) a favor. SEE IT! It's Magic! Collapse
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Event Name: Hidden Talents - An Evening of Premieres
"pass!"
Review posted by: lisa from Santa Cruz, CA, Mar 05, 2009
This was one of the worst performances I've ever seen--juvenile choreography, cheesy music, bad costumes, uninspired sets and lackluster dancing (with a few exceptions--the "Fem" piece was lovely)... Expand
This was one of the worst performances I've ever seen--juvenile choreography, cheesy music, bad costumes, uninspired sets and lackluster dancing (with a few exceptions--the "Fem" piece was lovely) made this 2 1/2 hour program painful to sit through. I've seen this company perform at a much higher standard than this--too bad they couldn't do themselves more justice in these cringe-worthy works. Collapse
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Event Name: Hidden Talents - An Evening of Premieres
"Fantastic!"
Review posted by: Susannah from San Jose, CA, Feb 27, 2009
This program is filled with wonderful choreography, humor, fantastic music, some of the most complex and inventive lighting I have seen the ballet use, dramatic storytelling and overall really... Expand
This program is filled with wonderful choreography, humor, fantastic music, some of the most complex and inventive lighting I have seen the ballet use, dramatic storytelling and overall really wonderful dance! HIDDEN TALENT is right,I loved the youthful and dramatic presentation of these works. A really different move for the Ballet and I was very pleased. 3 of the pieces were just STUNNING, a fourth was great but just a bit on the long side, and though a fifth wasn't MY particular favorite, it was definately solid. What a GREAT modern program. This would be PERFECT for the first time ballet goer for sure, a great collection of works! Collapse
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Event Name: Hidden Talents - An Evening of Premieres
"NEW WORKS--A Celebration of Artistic Innovation"
Comment posted by: Lee Kopp, Marketing Director; BSJ from San Jose, CA USA, Jan 28, 2009
I work at Ballet San Jose and have been watching bits and pieces of the rehearsals for HIDDEN TALENTS. It is really exciting to see these pieces being created. This is a program of NEW WORKS...A... Expand
I work at Ballet San Jose and have been watching bits and pieces of the rehearsals for HIDDEN TALENTS. It is really exciting to see these pieces being created. This is a program of NEW WORKS...A Celebration of Artistic Innovation. (That's my tag line. Hey, I'm into marketing...I can't help myself.) Five of our company dancers are creating their own choreography and setting their dances to music that is all over the map...György Ligeti, John Legend, Astor Piazzolla, Björk, Agustin Bardi, and Bay Area recording artists, Loop!Station. (In fact, Loop!Station is going to perform live onstage with the dancers, and the Legeti pieces are being played live by pianist Michael McGraw...so that should be really fun.) Do yourself a favor, and come see HIDDEN TALENTS. Be the FIRST on your block to see FIVE new ballets on one stage on one program. You won't be sorry. And thanks Artsopolis for letting me post my comments. Collapse
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Event Name: The Nutcracker
"Ballet San Jose's got another joyful 'Nut' to crack"
Comment posted by: From a review by Mary Ellen Hunt from San Francisco, CA USA, Dec 17, 2008
Excerpts from SF Chronicle review, 12/13/08 Dennis Nahat's colorful and cheerful version of the holiday classic is loaded with endearing details and a refreshingly logical scenario. [It is] the kind... Expand
Excerpts from SF Chronicle review, 12/13/08 Dennis Nahat's colorful and cheerful version of the holiday classic is loaded with endearing details and a refreshingly logical scenario. [It is] the kind of beguiling yarn that a doting, dotty old godfather might spin for a favorite godchild. It is solid work from dancers in roles large and small that really makes this production sparkle. Dancing the heroine of the story, a sweet-faced, petite Maria Jacobs is well matched with Ramon Moreno as her prince. The pair have far more exhausting dancing to do in this version of 'Nutcracker' than is typical, and their easy, lofty jumps and appealing chemistry never flagged. And as the Tsarina and Tsar--the Sugar Plum Fairy and Cavalier of this production--Jeremy Kovitch and Alexsandra Meijer put a glamorous cap on the ballet. The orchestra, under the baton of Dwight Oltman, lent a subdued grandeur to the Tchaikovsk score. Collapse
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Event Name: The Nutcracker
"Ballet San Jose creates a magical 'Nutcracker'"
Comment posted by: From Rita Felciano's review from San Jose, CA USA, Dec 17, 2008
Excerpts from San Jose Mercury News review, 12/13/08 In the case of Ballet San Jose's "The Nutcracker", familiarity breeds affection--not contempt. The strength of Dennis Nahat's treatment of the... Expand
Excerpts from San Jose Mercury News review, 12/13/08 In the case of Ballet San Jose's "The Nutcracker", familiarity breeds affection--not contempt. The strength of Dennis Nahat's treatment of the holiday classic is that it has the comfort of the familiar while still allowing the audience the pleasure of discovery new details. The piece also has the warmth of a family affair. The first act, packed with humorous and delicious details, still looks almost too rich to take in at one sitting. As in the past, favorite spots involve the mice--both the mechanical ones, peeking around corners and scooting on the floor, and the live ones played by students from the school. In the battle scene between those tiny feet and the big booted ones, you couldn't help but root for the rodents. The hilarious funeral yielded one of the ballet's great moments. It's those kinds of moments that make Nahat's "Nutcracker" such a delightful holiday treat--even after all these ye Collapse
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Event Name: The Toreador
"Adorable!"
Review posted by: Susannah from san jose, ca, Nov 21, 2008
What a fun Ballet! Rarely do you see such humor matched with such dance skill, such wonderful costumes, and great music. This was very entaining. So many plesant surprises! I don't want to give... Expand
What a fun Ballet! Rarely do you see such humor matched with such dance skill, such wonderful costumes, and great music. This was very entaining. So many plesant surprises! I don't want to give anything away, but there are some really creative sections to this performance that made it the most enjoyable ballet (and arts productions) I have seen in the last 3 years! Just wonderful! Even more so than the Nutcracker I think this would be a GREAT ballet to introduce children to. Easy to follow, and humor! If you've not see a ballet, if you've not seen Ballet San Jose, you won't want to miss it, I'm so sad it's just one weekend! Collapse
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Event Name: Just Balanchine
"EYE Review"
Comment posted by: Susannah from San Jose, CA, Mar 28, 2008
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Event Name: The Nutcracker
"(The) More muggin the merrier in Ballet San Jose's 'Nut'"
Comment posted by: Excerpt from the SF Chronicle review, Dec 15, 2007 by Mary Ellen Hunt from San Jose, CA, Dec 17, 2007
There's a pleasantly warm, homey feeling almost as soon as you walk into the San Jose Performing Arts Center for Ballet San Jose's "Nutcracker." It's the kind of show at which a complete stranger... Expand
There's a pleasantly warm, homey feeling almost as soon as you walk into the San Jose Performing Arts Center for Ballet San Jose's "Nutcracker." It's the kind of show at which a complete stranger might lean over the seat back and chat as if you'd been friends for years. Artistic Director Dennis Nahat's staging of his ballet, is a jaunty, colorful affair, full of bounce-and-go, enough to charm the first-time viewer or even the most jaded veteran of "Nutcrackers" past. On Thursday night, all the enthusiasm clearly drew the audience into the story. Delighted laughter and horrified gasps rippled through the house during the party scene, and startled shrieks erupted when a particularly loud flash turned the wooden Nutcracker doll into the handsome (Prince.) Maria and the Prince have an impressive amount of dancing to do, and they dance impressively, appearing in most of the divertissements throughout the second half. ...there's a darn good show on the stage, and that's all that matters. Collapse
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