The Artist
What you’ll want to know…
The Artist
Rodney Gustafson, Executive and Artistic Director, founded State Street Ballet in 1994 after a successful performing career with American Ballet Theatre. He holds Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Business Administration and Organizational Management, and combining these skills with the experiences of a performing career has allowed him to build a successful ballet company respected for its versatility, artistic excellence, and intelligently-designed productions. His innovative approach, mastery of the classics, and business savvy have empowered State Street Ballet to become an internationally acclaimed dance company that tours throughout the world.
As a dancer with American Ballet Theatre, Mr. Gustafson worked with many of the greatest dancers and choreographers of the time, including Mikhail Baryshnikov, Alvin Ailey, George Balanchine, Rudolph Nureyev, Jerome Robbins and Anthony Tudor. He appeared in the films The Turning Point and Baryshnikov’s Nutcracker, and performed in several Live from Lincoln Center specials airing on PBS. During his tenure as Artistic Director of State Street Ballet, Mr. Gustafson has created many original full-length ballets for the company, including The Nutcracker, Romeo and Juliet, Cinderella, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and The Jungle Book.
State Street Ballet is a vibrant, innovative professional ballet company based in Santa Barbara, California. The company combines the discipline and timeless elegance of classical ballet with updated, cutting-edge choreography, producing original works that satisfy today’s diverse audiences. By melding familiar storylines with exciting dance movement and multi-media visuals, the company gives each tale a modern and unique twist, introducing dance as mainstream entertainment while honoring classical traditions.
Choreographers whose works have been performed by State Street Ballet include Robert Battle, Autumn Eckman, Peter Pucci, Margo Sappington, Josie Walsh, and Edgar Zendejas, as well as the legendary Agnes de Mille and George Balanchine. Innovative new works draw from a team of visionary resident choreographers including Artistic Director Rodney Gustafson, Emmy Award winner Robert Sund, and renowned New York-based choreographer William Soleau.
The Artistry
“Art that Moves”
State Street Ballet is a critically-acclaimed company of professional dancers from around the world. They are under the direction of former American Ballet Theatre dancer Rodney Gustafson, who founded the company in 1994. Mr. Gustafson has since elevated the company to a level where the dancers work an average of 30 weeks per season, are on tour for 2-3 months of the year, and sustain rave reviews and sparkling reputations at home and on the road. The Artistic Staff of State Street Ballet are dedicated to ensuring the highest quality of technique and artistry from the dancers, and are committed to providing artistic and cultural enrichment to the Santa Barbara community.
State Street Ballet goes on tour for two months every season, bringing original dance and education programs to theaters and schools around the world. They tour both nationally and internationally, boasting a 90% rebooking rate, rave reviews, and standing ovations from China to Chile. The summer of 2015 saw the company embark on a nine-week tour throughout China, performing Beauty and the Beast in 25 different cities – a crowning achievement of State Street Ballet’s 20th Anniversary Season. They are very proud of their past touring successes and they eagerly look forward to future adventures.
State Street Ballet’s twenty-third season brings romance, spectacle, and powerfully evocative dance to the stages of Santa Barbara. Including Mozart’s exquisite Requiem with the Santa Barbara Symphony, and the company’s spellbinding interpretation of Romeo and Juliet, classical and contemporary dance meld seamlessly together on stage through world-class dancers and choreographers.
“State Street Ballet is a professional ballet company dedicated to presenting excellent new works in dance while preserving the classics. Our mission is to enrich both audiences and our community by exposing a wide and increasingly diverse audience to dance. Through dance, we seek to educate, inspire, and delight current and new ballet enthusiasts.”
– Artistic Director Rodney Gustafson
Carmina Burana Promo – State Street Ballet
Photo Credits: Mitty Carter Photography, David Bazemore Photography, Rose Eichenbaum Photography
