With support from the California Arts Council, Oakland Ballet Company will present a 2025–2026 season centered on equity, access, and representation in the arts. The season includes four powerful productions – 60th Anniversary Program, The Nutcracker, Rainbow Dances celebrating LGBTQ+ artists, and a remounting of the Angel Island Project, which honors the experiences of AAPI immigrants detained at the Angel Island Immigration Station. CAC funds will support these public performances as well as Discover Dance arts education program activities for schools with limited access to arts education. All programming is designed to reflect the lived experiences of Oakland’s diverse communities and ensure that students and audiences see themselves represented on stage. Through this work, OBC will continue its commitment to breaking down barriers to the arts and fostering a more inclusive and equitable cultural landscape.
OBC is committed to artistic excellence, serving as a leader in the local arts community, and providing access to the art of dance for 15,000+ community members from Oakland and the greater East Bay each year. OBC’s programs include a diverse mix of professional performances, a robust arts education program, and a youth dance training program.
Performances:
– “Luna Mexicana”: our annual celebration of Dia de los Muertos and Latinx arts and culture.
– Graham Lustig’s “The Nutcracker”: A Bay Area holiday tradition showcasing OBC’s more classical side.
– “Dancing Moons Festival”: a program highlighting AAPI choreographers and artists.
– Spring Repertory Programs: a mixed, more contemporary program featuring new works commissioned by local choreographers, and/or collaborations with other artists and arts groups. E.G.: in spring of 2023 OBC presented “Rainbow Dances” – a program featuring new works by LGBTQIA+ identifying choreographers.
Arts Education:
OBC’s “Discover Dance” program provides educational arts programming for local schools & students through the following programs:
– On-site educational assemblies
– In-theater student performances
– In classroom dance residencies
– Educational guides and lesson plans
– Ticket Donations
Dance Training:
Training the next generation of artists through summer dance workshops.

