Silicon Valley Ballet to Close

Bad news as Silicon Valley Ballet, formerly Ballet San Jose, will shut down, according to the Contra Costa Times.

When the company hired José Manuel Carreño, a star in the dance world, as its artistic director in late 2013, hopes were high that he could save the ballet. He brought excitement and buzz, and the performances under his tenure have been well-received critically. But it was not enough. Not even last year’s successful do-or-die fundraising push, which raised $640,000 in 10 days, could turn the tide.

Some say that the ballet is merely another example of the brutal financial arts climate in the Silicon Valley, that despite the billions that its very name represents, arts groups here are under extreme pressure to make ends meet because they lack the kind of old-money perennial arts patrons you find in San Francisco. In addition to the death of San Jose Rep, Santa Cruz Shakespeare closed in 2013 before coming back as a smaller operation and the American Musical Theatre went under in 2006.