Sacramento Ballet Stumbles Due to Budget Shortfall

November 28, 2001

Another regional company is weathering financial instability. Sacramento Ballet announced on Tuesday that it was laying off all of its dancers for the remainder of the 2014/2015 season due to a budget shortfall. After Ballet San Jose’s near miss earlier this year, the news is an especially disheartening look at the reality of arts funding in the U.S.

Fortunately, the dancers have sprung into action, organizing their own show to fill the void left by their suspended contract. They’ve scheduled a concert for May 30, which will feature many of the pieces slated to be performed at the company’s canceled “Beer and Ballet” program. Many Sacramento Ballet dancers had been planning to start a company so that they could continue to perform during their regular summer layoff. Now, they’ve received the nudge they need, and many dancers have come together to form Capital Dance Project.

Nancy Garton, the chair of the Sacramento Ballet board of directors, claims that the company is financially sound and that the budget shortfall was due to poor timing with their various revenue streams. The company is unusually reliant on private donors and ticket sales because Sacramento lacks sizable corporate sponsorship. The company is scheduled to resume its 2015/16 season in October, as planned.

 

Get tickets to Capital Dance Project’s show here.