San Gorgonio Ballet Founders Celebrate 10 Years, Seek Sponsors, Benefactors

The San Gorgonio Ballet Company & School of Dance is celebrating its first 10 years in Banning, and the founding director is seeking support and benefactors.

Julia-Olsen Rodriguez grew up in Banning and she studied dance at the Joffrey Ballet School in New York City during summers from age 11 to 17, she said Thursday in a phone interview.

"It's where I came from, I was born in this area," Olsen-Rodriguez said. "They didn't have classical arts here before we founded the ballet."

The San Gorgonio Ballet first opened in August 2003, at the Stagecoach Plaza, 3485 W. Ramsey St., and relocated to its current location, 240 W. Ramsey St., in January 2007, Olsen-Rodriguez said.

The San Gorgonio Ballet Company & School of Dance has a performance scheduled March 5 in Indian Wells.

The San Gorgonio Ballet is seeking sponsors and benefactors in part because ticket sales bring in less than one third of the cost of a ballet performance, Olsen-Rodriguez said.

"While the cost is of keeping a professional ballet going is rising daily, financial support for the arts is dwindling," she said in an announcement. "Without loyal sponsors and benefactors San Gorgonio Ballet would not be able to continue in our mission."

Categories of support listed by the San Gorgonio Ballet include:

Friend of the ballet - $20 to $99

Satin Slipper Sponsor - $100 to $249

Bronze Benefactor - $250 to $499

Silver Benefactor - $500 to $999

Golden Benefactor - $1000 to $4999

Platinum Benefactor - $5000 & up

San Gorgonio Ballet sponsors and benefactors receive tickets to performances and acknowledgement in souvenir programs, Olsen-Rodriguez said.

For more information visit www.sangorgonioballet.org/SupportSGB.

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