WBSM operates two core programs:

Mainstage Productions: WBSM produces two mainstage productions, “The Nutcracker” and a Spring Showcase. Our production of “The Nutcracker” is the longest running in Southern California, featuring our original choreography and a live orchestra. Our Spring Showcase features a varied repertoire of classical ballet favorites (including “Coppélia,” “Sleeping Beauty,” “Swan Lake,” and “Giselle”), contemporary pieces, and new works. We are proud to also present George Balanchine’s ballets, which must be done with permission of the Balanchine Trust and by staged by trust-designated repetiteurs. Our mainstage productions are danced each year by approximately 120 youth, ages 8-18, who are attendees of our affiliated dance academy (Westside School of Ballet). These productions also feature professional alumni and principals from prominent companies, such as New York City Ballet’s Tiler Peck and Roman Mejia. WBSM provides 15% of all of our seats free-of-charge to partner organizations serving low-income and vulnerable community members. We also facilitate annual school matinees of an abbreviated “The Nutcracker” for 5th graders, including all of Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District and portions of Los Angeles Unified School District, followed by a Q&A with the dancers and choreographers.

Summer Dance to Dreams: This program is our free ballet workshop committed to equity and access for all youth ages 5-12, regardless of family economic circumstance. It has been particularly designed for underserved BIPOC youth to gain access to ballet through experiential learning. WBSM piloted Dance to Dreams as a one-day workshop in Aug. 2022. We grew to a three-day workshop in 2023, then to a full-week (five-day) workshop in 2024 that served 62 youth. In 2025, the program grew to serve 78 students, with the aim to continue growing its enrollment in 2026 and beyond.