Ballet Afsaneh Art & Culture Society – Afsaneh Arts, founded in 1986, established nonprofit 501(c)3 status in 1991. The organization focuses on expressive arts of the historic Silk Road regions of Eurasia. The Afsaneh Arts flagship program is Ballet Afsaneh, the professional performance ensemble, annually produces 15 – 20 public performances for festivals, theaters, diaspora community events, schools, museums and cultural institutions in the SF Bay Area and beyond. Strong ties in the diaspora communities, both in the Bay Area and abroad, are maintained through a solid online presence. Staff and board reflect the organization’s mission fostering appreciation of diverse and enduring regional cultures of Central Asia and beyond. Ballet Afsaneh is the only professional, dance focused, performing group on the west coast serving Persian-Iranian, Afghan, and other related Central Asian communities.

Afsaneh Dance Academy offers a year round curriculum of classes and workshops in world dance, music, costuming, and cultural studies. A comprehensive online teaching platform, PomegranateGardensDance.com has found a world wide audience, featuring instructors local to the Bay Area, as well as international traditionkeepers.

Afsaneh Arts offers community education programs, international exchange projects, collaborations, and fiscal sponsorship for projects of associated Central Asian arts groups. The organization also serves as a creative incubator for emerging world dance and music artists, ensuring continuance of traditional expressive arts of Silk Road cultures in the vibrant diaspora communities of the Bay Area.