ABOUT US
The Mendocino Ballet received its status as a non-profit corporation in 1985 to provide the highest quality professional dance instruction and performance opportunities in Mendocino County.
With classical ballet as the foundation for all dance forms, we offer a supportive, non-competitive learning environment and an age-appropriate curriculum for dancers of all ages and experience levels.
Dance develops confidence, strength, flexibility, balance, coordination, and musicality. Students build rhythm, timing, spatial awareness, and body awareness while learning to recognize patterns in music and movement—skills that support cognitive and physical development, especially in young children.
Training also encourages focus, discipline, and perseverance. Students learn to practice with intention, work toward long-term goals, and perform with confidence under pressure.
Even for those who do not pursue professional careers, dance provides lasting benefits—creativity, confidence, discipline, and a deeper understanding of the body in motion—that enrich many areas of life and foster a lifelong appreciation for movement and the arts.
MENDOCINO BALLET COMPANY
The area’s only dance company offering performance opportunities for dedicated dancers, presenting both classical and contemporary ballet as well as story ballets for children. Each December, “The Nutcracker” is performed in Ukiah, featuring local children and adult performers alongside members of the Mendocino Ballet Company. Past productions have included Peter and the Wolf, Snow White & the Seven Dwarfs, Alice in Wonderland, The Fantastic Toyshop, Cinderella, Mother Goose Nursery Rhymes, Sleeping Beauty, Pas de Quatre, and many others.
MENDOCINO BALLET SCHOOL
Mendocino Ballet School offers a comprehensive classical ballet program with an emphasis on healthy biomechanics and proper technique. Much of the training is based on the Vaganova method, which provides students with a strong technical foundation in classical ballet. Younger children are introduced to dance through a Creative Dance and Pre-Ballet program, where the focus is on developing coordination, musicality, and a love of movement in a fun and supportive environment. Additional classes in contemporary, jazz, tap, and modern dance are also offered, helping students develop a well-rounded dance education.
"Mendocino Ballet offers a part in my daughter's life I could never fulfill. She grows more and more each year because of the way she feels when she dances."
Eva Marie E.