Representing Oregon’s south coast with excellence.
Dance Umbrella's student performing company is now entering it's seventeenth season. In the spring of 2009, DUSCO began taking steps to transition the student company (previously Dance Umbrella Repertory Company) into Ballet Pacific, a Regional Dance America (RDA), Pacific Region company. "Regional Dance America Pacific is an association of ballet companies dedicated to the pursuit of excellence through performance, education, networking and promotion of the art of dance throughout the Pacific Region." After an audition process, the emerging Ballet Pacific was invited to attend the festival of regional ballet companies in May 2010 as a guest company. When the process is complete and Regional status is attained, Ballet Pacific will be the only Regional Ballet Company on the Pacific Coast between Seattle and San Francisco and one of only three in the State of Oregon. As members of Ballet Pacific, dancers will work at a pre-professional level with master teachers and choreographers from around the world.
Pacific School of Dance is the official school of Ballet Pacific. However, dancers with a strong ballet background from all area schools are welcome and encouraged to audition. The partnership between the strong training at PSD and the opportunities provided by DUSCO has afforded local dancers opportunities not usually available to children who live outside large metropolitan areas. With the combination of training and financial support, local dancers have attended prestigious summer intensive dance programs such as American Ballet Theater, North Carolina School of the Arts, and Joffrey Ballet. Several of these dancers now have successful careers in the field of dance.
Ballet Pacific will introduce it’s new choreography and costumes at a gala slated for spring 2011.
For more information on Regional Dance America visit their web site at www.regionaldanceamericapacific.org.