San Francisco Ballet
San Francisco Ballet is a nonprofit professional ballet company founded in 1933 that performs classical and contemporary productions at San Francisco's War Memorial Opera House, operates the country's oldest ballet school, runs a 50-year-old resident orchestra, and serves patrons, donors, students, and international touring audiences.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1933
- HeadquartersSan Francisco, United States
- Headcount251–500
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What San Francisco Ballet does
San Francisco Ballet (legally San Francisco Ballet Association) is a nonprofit performing arts organization founded in 1933 and headquartered at the War Memorial Opera House at 301 Van Ness Avenue in San Francisco. It is America's first professional ballet company and operates the oldest professional ballet school in the United States, together with a resident SF Ballet Orchestra celebrating its 50th anniversary in the 2025-2026 season. The organization presents a repertoire spanning classical full-length works (Nutcracker, Swan Lake, Giselle, Romeo and Juliet, Sleeping Beauty, Don Quixote, Coppélia) and contemporary commissions (Mere Mortals, Eugene Onegin, Carmen, BOLERO, COLORFORMS, Frankenstein, Cinderella), frequently in co-production with peer companies including The Royal Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, Dutch National Ballet, Pacific Northwest Ballet, and Joffrey Ballet. Core technology is artistic rather than digital: live orchestral performance, choreographic commissioning, electronic-acoustic music fusion (notably with composer Floating Points), and cutting-edge stage design from collaborators including Hamill Industries and Academy Award-winning designer Tim Yip.
The business model is a hybrid nonprofit revenue stack: single-ticket and subscription sales through sfballet.org, the box office, and phone sales (with student, senior, group discounts and up to 20% season package savings); tuition from the San Francisco Ballet School across pre-ballet, school-year, summer, trainee, and adult programs; individual giving and planned giving (including a 2024 $60 million anonymous donation); tiered corporate partnerships; merchandise sales through a Shopify-powered gift shop; and ancillary touring and venue-rental revenue. Distribution is primarily direct to consumer across web, phone, and in-person channels in the SF Bay Area, supplemented by international touring through festival partnerships at Edinburgh and Jacob's Pillow. Marketing runs across Instagram, YouTube, X, Facebook, TikTok, email newsletter, the 'Meet the Artist' podcast, and an active press operation. Leadership consists of Artistic Director Tamara Rojo (appointed December 2022, former Royal Ballet principal and English National Ballet Artistic Director) and Executive Director Branislav Henselmann (joined 2024, formerly of Ballet BC, NYC Ballet Choreographic Institute, and City of Vancouver). The company employs 251-500 staff and maintains two wholly-owned subsidiaries: San Francisco Ballet School and San Francisco Ballet Endowment Foundation.
San Francisco Ballet firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- San Francisco Ballet
- Legal name
- San Francisco Ballet Association
- Website
- https://sfballet.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1933
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 251–500 employees
- Short description
- San Francisco Ballet is a nonprofit professional ballet company founded in 1933 that performs classical and contemporary productions at San Francisco's War Memorial Opera House, operates the country's oldest ballet school, runs a 50-year-old resident orchestra, and serves patrons, donors, students, and international touring audiences.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
San Francisco Ballet industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Performing Arts / Ballet
- NAICS
- Dance Companies (711120), Performing Arts Companies (7111), Musical Groups and Artists (711130)
- SIC
- Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Classical Ballet (Full-Length & Repertoire) (MPAGADAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Dance Education (Ballet, Contemporary, Hip-Hop, Cultural Dance) (EDAMAAAH), Dance Performances (THAJAFAD), Dance Festivals & Dance Series (MPAGADAJ)
Keywords
Where San Francisco Ballet is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- San Francisco
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices3 records
Markets served
San Francisco Ballet business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Ticket Sales: Primary revenue stream from single performance tickets, season packages, and subscription sales at the War Memorial Opera House. Includes student, senior, and group discounts.
- Individual Giving and Donations: Major donor program including a reported $60 million anonymous donation to fund new work, alongside individual giving campaigns and planned giving programs.
- San Francisco Ballet School Tuition: Revenue from the oldest professional ballet school in the country, offering programs from pre-ballet to trainee programs, school year programs, summer programs, and adult classes.
- Corporate Partnerships: Corporate partnerships and giving programs including sponsorship of productions like Mere Mortals, with Grand Benefactor, Lead Sponsor, Major Sponsor, and Sponsor tiers.
- Retail Operations: Gift shop sales through shop.sfballet.org offering merchandise.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | Season Packages (CYO Duet) |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Single Tickets with Limited-Time Offers |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Student, Senior, and Group Discounts |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels9 records
San Francisco Ballet product offering
Product offeringCore offering
San Francisco Ballet is a professional ballet company that produces and performs classical and contemporary ballet productions at the War Memorial Opera House and on international tour. It also operates the San Francisco Ballet School, the oldest professional ballet school in the United States, offering dance training programs from pre-ballet through trainee and adult levels. Revenue is generated through ticket sales, subscriptions, school tuition, individual and corporate donations, and merchandise.
Product overview
San Francisco Ballet is a professional ballet company presenting a diverse repertoire of classical and contemporary productions. The organization operates as a unified performing arts entity consisting of the main ballet company, the San Francisco Ballet School (the oldest professional ballet school in the United States), and the SF Ballet Orchestra. Key productions include 'Mere Mortals' (AI-themed contemporary ballet), 'Eugene Onegin', 'Carmen', 'Nutcracker' (America's first full-length Nutcracker), 'Don Quixote', 'The Blake Works', 'Frankenstein', and classic full-length ballets like 'Swan Lake', 'Giselle', 'Sleeping Beauty', 'Romeo and Juliet', and 'Cinderella'. The company also operates a Gift Shop via Shopify and offers community outreach programs. Tamara Rojo serves as Artistic Director (appointed December 2022) and Branislav Henselmann as Executive Director (appointed 2024).
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- San Francisco Ballet School: The professional ballet school of San Francisco Ballet, founded in 1933, offering world-class instruction to train future professionals and help dancers of all ages discover the joy of movement.
- SF Ballet Orchestra
Products and services
- Mere Mortals Contemporary full-length ballet reimagining the Greek myth of Pandora's Box through the lens of artificial intelligence. Choreographed by Aszure Barton with original music by Floating Points (Sam Shepherd) combining live orchestral music with electronic textures. Premiered January 26, 2024 and remains in repertoire.
- Eugene Onegin Full-length story ballet based on Alexander Pushkin's novel, choreographed by Yuri Possokhov with a brand-new score by Ilya Demutsky and Academy Award-winning costume design by Tim Yip. Co-produced with The Joffrey Ballet, premiering January 23, 2026.
- Nutcracker America's first full-length Nutcracker, choreographed by Helgi Tomasson, a holiday season family production performed at the War Memorial Opera House.
- San Francisco Ballet School The professional ballet school of San Francisco Ballet, the oldest professional ballet school in the country. Offers pre-ballet, school year program, trainee program, summer programs, and adult classes.
- SF Ballet Orchestra The resident orchestra of San Francisco Ballet, performing live for all productions at the War Memorial Opera House. Celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2025-2026.
- Community Programs Bay Area community engagement programs including field trips, school programs, audience programs, family and community programs, and sensory-friendly and adaptive programs.
- SF Ballet Gift Shop Online merchandise store selling SF Ballet-branded merchandise, operated through Shopify at shop.sfballet.org.
- Meet the Artist Podcast Podcast series featuring interviews with San Francisco Ballet dancers, choreographers, and artistic staff.
Quantifiable outcome
- Mere Mortals generated millions in ticket sales and attracted first-time audiences
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use San Francisco Ballet
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
San Francisco Ballet technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
San Francisco Ballet partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.
- Floating Points (Sam Shepherd)coreComposer who created the original score for Mere Mortals, combining live orchestral music with electronic music. Floating Points is a PhD in neuroscience and boundary-pushing composer/producer.
- Hamill IndustriesmajorExperiential artists providing production design and visuals for Mere Mortals, creating cutting-edge visual experiences.
- Aszure BartoncoreChoreographer commissioned to create Mere Mortals, the groundbreaking AI-themed ballet for San Francisco Ballet. This is the first woman ever commissioned for a full-length work at the company's nearly 100-year history.
- Joffrey BalletmajorCo-production partner for Yuri Possokhov's Eugene Onegin ballet, premiering January 2026.
- Dutch National BalletmajorCo-production partner for Christopher Wheeldon's Cinderella, originally premiered by Dutch National Ballet in 2012.
- The Royal BalletmajorCo-production partner for Liam Scarlett's Frankenstein, originally premiered by The Royal Ballet in 2016.
- American Ballet TheatremajorCo-production partner for Lar Lubovitch's Othello and Alexei Ratmansky's The Seasons.
- Pacific Northwest BalletmajorCo-production partner for George Balanchine's Coppélia.
- Edinburgh International FestivalminorInternational venue hosting touring production of Mere Mortals at Edinburgh Playhouse.
- Jacob's Pillow FestivalminorPrestigious dance festival at Ted Shawn Theatre featuring San Francisco Ballet performances.
- Tim YipmajorAcademy Award and BAFTA Award-winning designer (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon) designing costumes for Eugene Onegin.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
San Francisco Ballet competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Houston Ballet: Major US ballet company with comparable scale and a similar strategy of operating an affiliated academy. Direct peer in programming ambition, touring, and donor cultivation.
- Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater: Major US dance company of comparable scale and national touring footprint. While modern/contemporary rather than classical ballet, it competes directly with SF Ballet for performing arts audiences, donors, and touring venue slots.
- Pacific Northwest Ballet: Seattle-based ballet company of similar scale and repertoire profile. Co-production partner on Coppélia, comparable in producing both Balanchine classics and contemporary commissions.
- New York City Ballet: America's other flagship ballet company with a comparable classical-plus-contemporary programming model, comparable orchestra integration, and similar scale of operations and touring. Closest direct competitor for talent, donors, and national prestige.
- Boston Ballet: One of the leading US ballet companies, comparable in company size, classical/contemporary mix, and affiliated school model. Direct competitor for top-tier choreographers and national touring slots.
- English National Ballet: UK ballet company previously led by Tamara Rojo for over a decade; the Roja era there produced the Olivier Award-winning repertoire. Highly comparable in programming DNA and artistic leadership lineage to current SF Ballet.
- Joffrey Ballet: Major US ballet company with a similarly hybrid classical/contemporary repertoire. Active co-production partner with SF Ballet on Eugene Onegin, making it a tightly comparable peer in programming strategy and operational scale.
- American Ballet Theatre: One of the largest and most prestigious ballet companies in the US, presenting classical and contemporary repertoire. Directly comparable to SF Ballet in scale, repertoire breadth, and national touring footprint, and a current co-production partner.
Regional players
- Dutch National Ballet: Major European ballet company that originated the Cinderella co-production currently in SF Ballet's repertoire. Comparable in scale and repertoire ambition, but operates in a different geographic market.
Broad incumbents
- The Royal Ballet: The UK's flagship ballet company and one of the largest in the world. Larger and more globally established than SF Ballet, but a direct co-production partner (Frankenstein) and the source institution for Tamara Rojo, making it a strategic benchmark.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
San Francisco Ballet social profiles
Digital presenceSan Francisco Ballet financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
San Francisco Ballet leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles13 records
San Francisco Ballet subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries2 records
San Francisco Ballet funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
San Francisco Ballet M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about San Francisco Ballet
What does San Francisco Ballet do?
San Francisco Ballet is a professional ballet company that produces and performs classical and contemporary ballet productions at the War Memorial Opera House and on international tour. It also operates the San Francisco Ballet School, the oldest professional ballet school in the United States, offering dance training programs from pre-ballet through trainee and adult levels. Revenue is generated through ticket sales, subscriptions, school tuition, individual and corporate donations, and merchandise.
Is San Francisco Ballet a public or private company?
San Francisco Ballet is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was San Francisco Ballet founded?
San Francisco Ballet was founded in 1933. It employs 251 to 500 people.
Where is San Francisco Ballet based?
San Francisco Ballet is headquartered in San Francisco, United States, in the North America region.
How does San Francisco Ballet make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Ticket Sales are the primary driver. The others are individual Giving and Donations, san Francisco Ballet School Tuition, corporate Partnerships and retail Operations.
Who are San Francisco Ballet's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Houston Ballet, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Pacific Northwest Ballet, New York City Ballet, Boston Ballet, English National Ballet, Joffrey Ballet and American Ballet Theatre. Dutch National Ballet is listed as a regional player. The Royal Ballet is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does San Francisco Ballet have an API?
No public API is recorded for San Francisco Ballet.
What industry is San Francisco Ballet in?
San Francisco Ballet's product category is Performing Arts / Ballet. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAGADAA, Classical Ballet (Full-Length & Repertoire), with a secondary code of EDAMAAAH, Dance Education (Ballet, Contemporary, Hip-Hop, Cultural Dance). Its NAICS code is 711120 and its SIC code is 7900.