Ballet companies compete for resident status
By Nancy Needham nancy@theacorn.com

Recommendations from the board of governors of the city of Thousand Oaks and local philanthropist Richard Carpenter carried a lot of weight when the City Council voted to designate The Pacific Festival Ballet as the city's resident ballet company.

Two ballet companies-the Pacific Festival Ballet and the Conejo Civic Ballet Company- had asked to be recognized as the city's resident company.

Both groups went before the board of governors' ad hoc committee, where criteria were established to help in making the choice.

Arts Commissioner Ann Mathias and Conejo Civic Ballet Company Executive Director Robin Twarowski said both companies met all the criteria. They asked that the two be given the designation.

Twarowski noted the Conejo Civic Ballet Company was the first dance studio in Thousand Oaks, opening its doors 44 years ago. Since that time the company has been presenting ballet to the second-graders of the city each year and giving disadvantaged families free tickets to their performances.

The small, nonprofit ballet company has been performing at the Civic Arts Plaza since it first opened and will be presenting a full-length "Sleeping Beauty" production in May, Mathias said.

The resident ballet status does not give the ballet companies any advantage in rent or scheduling at the Civic Arts Plaza, noted Tom Mitze, director of the city's community and cultural services department.

"It's a stamp of approval. It helps with fundraising-it's like a U.S. Grade A stamp," Mitze said. "It's a way of recognizing consistency of performance and excellence."

There was no competition when the board of governors recommended the New West Symphony as the resident orchestra or the Cabrillo Music Theater as the resident light opera, he said. There's no rule against designating two resident ballets, Mitze said.

The Pacific Festival Ballet was already designated the city's resident "Nutcracker" ballet before they asked to become the resident ballet company, he said.

The board of governors came to the subjective decision to recommend the Pacific Festival Ballet because it's a larger company, it commissions world premiere ballets and has more performances, Mitze said.

Pacific Festival Ballet Vice President Lori Sorensen said they're currently training 1,200 dancers at their 18,000squarefoot studio.

In May they will present a world premiere performance of "The Sea Princess," an original ballet.

She also presented a letter of recommendation written on behalf of her ballet company by Richard Carpenter, of the duo The Carpenters. He's become well known in Thousand Oaks for his work providing funding and scholarships for local performing artists. He and his wife, Mary, Thousand Oaks residents since 2000, recently provided a $3million gift to the Alliance of the Arts, the official nonprofit fundraising arm of the Civic Arts Plaza.

In his recommendation letter Carpenter gave a personal endorsement in support of the board of governors' unanimous decision to honor the Pacific Festival Ballet as the resident ballet company. He also noted he's often asked to give endorsements but writes very few letters.

Mayor Dennis Gillette and Councilmember Andy Fox both said how impressed they were that Carpenter would recommend the ballet company.

Councilmember Claudia Billde la Peña noted how the city once had four ballet companies and was now down to just two, giving the city a responsibility to support both. She made a motion that the two be designated as resident ballet companies.

"Why limit our community to only one recognized resident company? It's a blessing to our community to have two fine companies in the community," Bill-de la Pena said. "It's not a contest."

Her motion failed 1-3, with her vote the only one in favor. Councilmember Tom Glancy absent.

"I don't think the council is in a position to make an informed decision on this issue-that's why we appoint citizens' committees to do the legwork, to do the independent study, and that's exactly what's occurred here," Fox said.

He encouraged the council to respect the process and support the recommendation of the board of governors.

Fox's motion to designate the Pacific Festival Ballet as the resident company passed 4-0.