State Street Ballet

State Street Ballet: About


Auditions 2024

Auditions for 2024 will be announced in December, 2023.

State Street Ballet's 2024/25 Professional Track Program is designed for the advanced dancer with aspirations of a professional career. For students ages 17-23, this innovative course meets five days a week, 32 weeks per year, preparing dancers for a career in dance through participation in State Street Ballet company class, opportunities to perform and tour with the company, and a focus on fine-tuning both technique and artistry. 

State Street Ballet is an internationally acclaimed company of professional dancers from around the world. We look for dancers with strong classical and contemporary backgrounds who are interested in working collaboratively and exploring their individual styles of movement. Pointe work for the women, strong partnering skills, and modern dance technique are required. We offer a 26-week contract, Sep - May, with a home season plus national touring. 

For more information contact State Street Ballet: (805) 845-1432 or email State Street Ballet

Board of Directors

Roger Thompson
President

Benjamin Jerry Cohen
Treasurer

Rodney Gustafson
Director/Founder

Allison Gustafson
Director/Founder

Nicole Callahan

Margo Cohen-Feinberg

Gary Dorfman

Chanda Fetter

Arlyn Goldsby

Gerald I. Isenberg

Alex Nourse

Dr. Anthony C. Romero

Artistic Staff

State Street Ballet is a critically-acclaimed company of professional dancers from around the world. They are under the direction of former American Ballet Theatre dancer Rodney Gustafson, who founded the company in 1994, and acclaimed choreographer William Soleau who was named Co-artistic Director in 2018. Mr. Gustafson and Mr. Soleau have since elevated the company to a level where the dancers work an average of 30 weeks per season, are on tour for 2-3 months of the year, and sustain rave reviews and sparkling reputations at home and on the road. The Artistic Staff of State Street Ballet are dedicated to ensuring the highest quality of technique and artistry from the dancers, and are committed to providing artistic and cultural enrichment to the Santa Barbara community.


Dancers

State Street Ballet is a company comprised of professional dancers from around the world. Under the direction of former American Ballet Theatre dancer Rodney Gustafson and world-renowned choreographer William Soleau, they are a group praised for their commitment to technical and artistic excellence, and applauded for their versatility and innovation. State Street Ballet dancers rehearse for an average of 30 weeks per season, are on the road two to three months of the year, and pride themselves on inspiring and enriching the local Santa Barbara community, as well as the communities they travel to on tour.

Company History

State Street Ballet, founded in 1994, is an internationally acclaimed dance company based in Santa Barbara, CA under the bi-coastal artistic direction of Rodney Gustafson and William Soleau. It is a pioneering collaborative that employs dancers from around the world, consistently striving for new and innovative artistic opportunities that serve a broad audience. Each season is dedicated to bringing the highest standards of artistry and originality to tried and true classical favorites, plus new works that reflect the contemporary nature and talent of the ensemble. The company is comprised of 20 dancers representing five countries.

Choreographers whose works have been performed by State Street Ballet include Robert Battle, Autumn Eckman, Kevin Jenkins, Gina Patterson, Peter Pucci, Margo Sappington, Kassandra Taylor Newberry, Josie Walsh, and Edgar Zendejas, as well as the legendary Agnes de Mille and George Balanchine. Visionary new works draw from a team of resident choreographers including Artistic Directors Rodney Gustafson (The Nutcracker, Cinderella, Romeo & Juliet) and William Soleau (Carmen, An American TangoCarmina Burana) and San Francisco-based choreographer and Emmy Award winner Robert Sund (Alice in Wonderland, Beauty and the Beast, Taming of the Shrew).

State Street Ballet values artistic collaborations and arts outreach opportunities, and is committed to enriching every community we perform in, large or small. Inspiring future generations and reaching a broader, more diverse audience is consistently a priority. Successful collaborations with the Santa Barbara Symphony, Opera Santa Barbara, Music Academy of the West, and the Santa Barbara Choral Society have become very popular and much-anticipated Santa Barbara traditions.

State Street Ballet tours both nationally and internationally, boasting a 90% rebooking rate, rave reviews, and standing ovations from coast to coast. In 2015, the company embarked on a nine-week tour throughout China, performing Beauty and the Beast in 25 different cities, and the summer of 2017 brought the company an invitation to perform at the International Ballet Gala in Santiago, Chile, showcasing the versatility of our repertoire and dancers.