In 1964, after professional careers with American Ballet Theatre, San Francisco Ballet, Eugene Loring’s Dance Players in Hollywood, and performing in Broadway musicals, film, and television, Robert and Carol Hanlin opened the Goleta School of Ballet. The Hanlins had studied with some of the world’s finest teachers including George Balanchine, Muriel Stewart, Anthony Tudor, and Margaret Craske. They recognized the need for elevated training and performance opportunities in Santa Barbara and in 1968, they founded the Goleta Civic Ballet, a pre-professional ballet company. By 1970 the Company was collaborating with the Santa Barbara Symphony at the Arlington Theatre. Collaborations included Peter and the Wolf and the Symphony’s Concerts for Young People, reaching some 8,000 children annually! The largest joint undertaking has been The Nutcracker, started in 1975. That same year, Goleta Civic Ballet, now Santa Barbara Festival Ballet, joined the Pacific Regional Ballet Association (now The Ballet Alliance).
The Hanlins retired in 1991. The present Conservatory Director, Denise Rinaldi, studied under the Hanlins, is a Fellow of Cecchetti USA, an examiner for the organization, as well as its Executive Director. The SBFB Company dancers are privileged to work with Valerie Huston, UCSB Senior Lecturer in the Dept. of Dance, as the company’s Interim Executive Director and resident choreographer.
Most gratifying is the number of children of former dancers we now have studying with us. When the Hanlins were requesting funding for the first production of The Nutcracker they stated, “We hope to establish something children of Santa Barbara can grow up with, on both sides of the footlights.” That, indeed, has come to pass.
Dancer | Years With SBFB | Accomplishments |
---|---|---|
Cady Huffman | 1973-1982 | Actor-Broadway, film and television. Won 2001 Tony Award for playing “Ulla” in “The Producers”. Nominated for an Outer Critics’ Circle Award for best featured actress in a play for “The Nance”. Nominated for a Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical for “The Will Rogers Follies”. |
Hank Underwood | 1977-1978 | Actor- Film and television. Among many character roles- Whit Whitaker in “General Hospital” 1980-1981. |
Anne Westwick | 1972-1976 | Dancer- Martha Graham Dance Co., Bay Area Repertory Dance, co-founder with Christopher Dolder of “Christopher Dolder and Friends.” Guest Faculty Martha Graham Technique and Repertory. |
Jennet Zerbe | 1984-1986 | Dancer- American Ballet Theatre, appeared in movies, “The Turning Pointe” and “Dancers.” |
Daniel (Dowker) Harris | Retired Principal Dancer- Ballet Florida | |
Janine (Cherry) Harris | retired Dancer- Ballet Florida, professional dance photographer, teacher- Paris Ballet and Dance, Jupiter, Florida. | |
Chauncey Hildestad | Principal Dancer, Oregon Ballet Theatre | |
Katherine Ullom | Dancer, Sarasota Ballet of Florida | |
Melissa Ullom | Dancer, Parsons Dance Company | |
Mariko Crane | Dancer,U.S. “Ballet” postage stamp 1998, first place winner National Margot Fonteyn Competition | |
Austin McCormick | Artistic Director- Company XIV | |
Marisol Cabrera | Dancer- Company XIV, Education & Outreach Programs Manager,Ballet Hispánico | |
Faith Pilger | Juilliard, Mark Morris Dance Group, Pilobolus Dance Theater | |
Colby Parsons | Dancer, Alberta Ballet Company, currently Principal Dancer with Oregon Ballet Theater |
|
Maureen Kelly | Faculty, Boston Ballet | |
Chelsea Cambron | Trainee, Louisville Ballet, Cruise Line, and now teaching Barre Method, First Place Winner-Contemporary, Cecchetti International Ballet Competition, Enrico Cecchetti Diploma (fewer than 20 recipients internationally) | |
Cecily Stewart | State Street Ballet | |
Aimee Lopez | Faculty Santa Barbara Festival Ballet. Qualified Cecchetti USA teacher holding an Associate CUSA, ABT® Certified Teacher in Pre Primary through Level 5 of the ABT® National Training Curriculum. |
If you are an alumnus of Santa Barbara Festival Ballet or the Goleta Civic Ballet, please email us with your story. We want to include you too!
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