San Diego Ballet

What San Diego Ballet does

San Diego Ballet is a private nonprofit 501(c)(3) professional ballet company and school founded in 1989 by Robin Sherertz-Morgan, headquartered in San Diego, California. It operates a professional company producing seasonal classical and contemporary ballet works, a training school (the Dorothea Laub Dance Place in Liberty Station), and a community outreach program that includes free classes in underserved areas such as City Heights. The organization serves Southern California audiences through performances at premier local venues (Balboa Theatre, Lyceum Theatre, Joan B. Kroc Theatre, The Conrad Prebys Performing Arts Center) and has ongoing creative collaborations with the San Diego Museum of Art, resident composer Charles McPherson, and local jazz musicians such as Gilbert Castellanos.

Name

San Diego Ballet

Legal name

San Diego Ballet

Website

https://sandiegoballet.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

San Diego Ballet is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit professional ballet company and school founded in 1989, serving Southern California audiences through seasonal classical and contemporary productions, year-round dance training, and free community outreach programs including the City Heights Youth Ballet.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Performing Arts

NAICS

Dance Companies (711120), Fine Arts Schools (61161)

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), Contemporary & Modern Dance (MPAGADAB)

Keywords

• Professional ballet performances
• Ballet training school
• Dance education programs
• Community outreach dance
• Performing arts company

Headquarters

HQ city

San Diego

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Ticket sales for seasonal productions, individual shows, and season subscriptions. The website indicates ticket sales cover approximately 50% of the yearly budget.
2. Individual Donations: Tax-deductible contributions from individuals and patrons supporting the company's artists and operations. Donations can be made via PayPal.
3. Corporate Sponsorship: Support from corporate sponsors including KPBS, County of San Diego, Qualcomm, and others providing operational funding.
4. Foundation Grants: Support from foundations including California Arts Council, Harvey Family Foundation, SD Commission for Arts and Culture, and ResMed Foundation.
5. School Tuition: Revenue from the San Diego Ballet School offering classes for all ages, including Pre-Professional Summer Intensive programs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

San Diego Ballet is a professional ballet company and school that produces classical and contemporary ballet performances, provides year-round dance training for students of all ages through the San Diego Ballet School, and delivers community outreach and education programs including free classes in underserved neighborhoods. Its offerings span seasonal productions, pre-professional summer intensives, live jazz dance collaborations, museum-inspired performance series, and in-school residencies.

Product overview

San Diego Ballet is a professional ballet company and school offering a comprehensive portfolio of performing arts services. The core offerings include professional ballet productions (such as The Nutcracker, Giselle, Romeo et Juliet, and Sleeping Beauty), the San Diego Ballet School for professional training, Pre-Professional Summer Intensive programs, and community outreach including free City Heights Youth Ballet classes. The company also presents specialty programs including live jazz dance collaborations and museum partnership performances at venues throughout San Diego County.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Ballet Performances and Productions Professional ballet performances including classical works such as The Nutcracker, Giselle, Sleeping Beauty, Romeo et Juliet, and contemporary productions including Firebird and Mambomania, presented for general audiences and families at premier San Diego performing arts venues.
• San Diego Ballet School Professional ballet training school offering year-round classes in ballet technique, pointe, jazz, and contemporary for students of all ages, located at the Dorothea Laub Dance Place in Liberty Station, designed to prepare dancers for professional careers.
• Pre-Professional Summer Intensive Annual summer intensive program for pre-professional ballet students offering rigorous training under Artistic Director Javier Velasco, with potential consideration for traineeship with the company.
• City Heights Youth Ballet Free ballet classes for children and teens ages 6-18 offered on Saturday mornings at the City Heights Library Performance Annex, providing quality dance education and community connections to underserved youth.
• Summer Dance Camp Annual summer dance camp program designed for children to participate in local festivals and community events, offering dance education and performance opportunities.
• Ritmos / Live Jazz Dance Series Performance series featuring live Latin jazz music collaborations with musicians such as Gilbert Castellanos, combining Latin jazz with ballet choreography in works including Ritmos and Por Los Muertos.
• Dance Gallery (Collage) Mixed-repertory showcase production featuring choreography by company dancers, San Diego Ballet School faculty, and Artistic Director Javier Velasco.
• Museum Collaboration Programs Partnership programming with The San Diego Museum of Art featuring dance performances inspired by the museum's permanent collection and exhibitions, including programs such as Landscapes, Perspective, Impressionism, and Intaglio film series.
• Community Outreach and Education Programs Educational programs for schools and community organizations including Meet a Dancer visits, Interactive In-School Assemblies, 10-Week Residencies, Field Trips, and Film Projects with KPBS.

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• KPBScoreGTM or Marketing PartnerMajor media sponsor providing radio and television coverage. KPBS is a public media partner offering exposure through local broadcast media.
• County of San DiegocoreGTM or Marketing PartnerGovernment sponsor providing operational funding and civic support for arts programming.
• California Arts CouncilcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerState arts agency providing grant funding and support for arts programming.
• SD Commission for Arts and CulturecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal arts commission providing funding and recognition for San Diego arts organizations.
• QualcommmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor providing financial support and potential technology partnerships.
• The San Diego Museum of Art (SDMA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOngoing collaboration hosting the entire 2025-2026 season at the museum. SDB creates performances inspired by the museum's permanent collection and exhibitions throughout the season. Includes programs like Impressionism, Perspective, Landscapes, and Intaglio film series.
• Forte Fencing ClubminorOthersSan Diego's premier fencing club utilizing San Diego Ballet's studio space. Listed as a community organization making use of ballet studios.
• DanzArtsminorOthersSan Diego's premier Mexican and Spanish dance company utilizing San Diego Ballet's studio space.
• Rachel George Belly DanceminorOthersSan Diego's premier belly dancer utilizing San Diego Ballet's studio space.
• San Diego Kendo BuminorOthersTraditional Japanese swordsmanship organization utilizing San Diego Ballet's studio space.
• San Diego Peninsula Shotokan KarateminorOthersKarate organization utilizing San Diego Ballet's studio space.
• Gilbert CastellanosmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal trumpeter and composer providing live Latin jazz music for productions including Ritmos series, Por Los Muertos, and Carnival of the Animals. Ongoing creative collaboration with SDB.
• Yale StromminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerScholar-artist of klezmer culture and composer who created first composition for San Diego Ballet for the Song of Songs production.
• Charles McPhersonmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSan Diego Ballet's resident composer creating jazz compositions for annual Jazz/Dance series since 2015. Created Sweet Synergy Suite, Song of Songs, and other works.
• PAARTSminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner organization supporting arts education programs.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• San Francisco Ballet: One of the largest and oldest ballet companies in the U.S. with an associated school. Operates in the same California-adjacent performing arts ecosystem with a comparable classical-contemporary repertoire and education pipeline.
• American Ballet Theatre: National-scale ballet company that tours broadly and runs affiliated training programs. Operates the same repertoire-plus-education model at a level SDB might aspire to scale toward.
• Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater: Major U.S. dance company with integrated school (Ailey School) and extensive educational outreach. Operates the same combined company-plus-academy model at significantly greater scale and national reach.

Direct peers

• City Ballet of San Diego: Direct local competitor also based in San Diego offering classical and contemporary ballet performances to Southern California audiences. Most closely comparable in geography, mission, and organizational scale.
• Pacific Northwest Ballet: Regional professional ballet company with a school and repertoire spanning classical and contemporary works. Comparable structure (company + school + outreach) though at meaningfully larger scale.
• Los Angeles Ballet: Regional Southern California ballet company presenting classical and contemporary works and running community programs. Closely matches SDB's geography, repertoire mix, and nonprofit structure.
• Sacramento Ballet: California-based regional ballet company presenting classical and contemporary works alongside a school. Comparable state-level geographic footprint and audience development model.
• Colorado Ballet: Regional ballet company and academy presenting classical repertoire including The Nutcracker alongside contemporary works. Strong comparability in nonprofit structure, school integration, and outreach programming.
• Ballet Arizona: Regional professional ballet company with associated school and outreach programs in a single U.S. metro. Comparable institutional model combining ticketed performances, education, and community engagement.
• Tulsa Ballet: Mid-size regional ballet company with a school and education/outreach programming. Strongly comparable in scale, repertoire mix, and school-as-pipeline business model.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@sandiegoballet1156/videos
• Facebookfacebook.com/sandiegoballet
• Instagraminstagram.com/sandiegoballet
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/san-diego-ballet

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about San Diego Ballet