History
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Presidio Performing Arts Foundation's (PPAF) mission is to preserve and present dance, music, and theater traditions in their historical context with a perspective that deepens impressions and knowledge of peoples, culture and art, creating an eloquent means of joining together performing arts, collective wisdom and social justice. Presidio Performing Arts Foundation (PPAF) is a California non-profit public benefit corporation co-founded in 1997 by Judy George Bretschneider (Community Arts Fundraiser & Musician), the late Robert C. Leefeldt (25 year member of the San Francisco Opera Board of Directors) and Nancy Johnson (co-founder of the San Francisco Ethnic Dance Festival, retired director of San Francisco Ballet School). PPAF received its 501(c) (3) status in January 1998. As one of the Presidio National Park's early arrivals, PPAF has had a proud presence and is considered a premiere cultural institution, earning widespread admiration and numerous awards for the impressive quality of its artistic endeavors. Building its cultural programming on the tremendously diverse and rich ethnic traditions that exist statewide, PPAF annually presents an array of performances, dance festivals, dynamic cultural exchanges, and costume exhibition in the unique setting of America's newest urban National Park, the Presidio of San Francisco. Millions of people visit the Presidio each year and a quarter of a million have already enjoyed PPAF's Presidio Dance Theatre's performances, special events, and costume exhibitions. PPAF's tagline is "Bringing the World of Dance Into the Lives of Children." Presidio Performing Arts Foundation's programs include: Presidio Dance Theatre is a program of Presidio Performing Arts Foundation, a non profit public benefit corporation. It creates and presents an array of ballet-based international dance performances, annual dance festival and costume exhibition.
Presidio Dance Theatre is an acclaimed multi-generational performance company, ballet-based, specializing in dance from many regions of the world and with award-winning arts education programs.
The Companies : Presidio Dance Theatre, An Adult Dance Company & Presidio Dance Theatre Youth Company, Pre-Professional, present professionally choreographed Winter and Spring Season performances in prestigious venues, International touring, dance festivals, public workshops in traditional arts and costume exhibition. The School of Presidio Dance Theatre With state-of-the-art facilities in the Presidio, the School offers dance and performing arts community education classes for all ages, special events, open studio demonstrations, and recitals. The curriculum is adapted from the pedagogy of the Vaganova Choreographic School of Saint Petersburg, and offers sequential training in classical ballet, danse de caractere, and international folk. DANCE OUT! Outreach : An array of free in school, after-school, weekend, and summer programs to underserved children in four San Francisco districts. Dance curriculum is imbued with an international perspective. PPAF also sponsors an annual "CHILDREN'S DAY AT THE SAN FRANCISCO OPERA HOUSE" offering two free performances featuring Presidio Dance Theatre's multi-cultural repertoire, with 6,000+ children attending each year since 2003. Presidio Dance Theatre's Costume Exhibition : Presidio Dance Theatre exhibits its costumes, primarily designed and created by artists of Saint Petersburg. The handwork and attention to intricate detail is exquisite and spectacular representation of the dress of different world cultures, providing a window into the lives of children and adults from around the globe. Presidio Performing Arts Center : Opening in 2011, Presidio Performing Arts Center becomes a co-location of dance companies with international dance specialty who utilize the studio space with Presidio Dance Theatre in the evenings and weekends. All ensembles collaborate in Presidio Dance Theatre's DANCING ACROSS CULTURESTM, a multi-cultural dance production and conduct workshops and programs for Presidio Dance Theatre. Come Dance With Me : No-cost field trips for children to "take" a class in our professional production studio. Experiences include: jumping on a "sprung dance floor," exercises using ballet barres, learning steps to a folk dance which is matched on social studies curriculum, trying on costumes, and learning about technical aspects. Summer Camps : Select from eight weeks of a variety of performing and visual arts camps with dance specialties. Professional artists create memorable activities. Students also enjoy touring the scenic and cultural Presidio and meeting the people who make it work. Awards and Honors : 2010 Presidio Dance Theatre is selected to perform at the GALLO CENTER's Mesopotamian Nights Festival with recording artist Walter Aziz and his 52-piece orchestra. 2010 Presidio Dance Theatre is selected to perform for the San Francisco Ethnic Dance Festival (second consecutive year), featuring the choreography of Ahmet Luleci. 2010 Presidio Dance Theatre's Youth Company is selected to represent the United States of America in the world's largest International Children's Festival in Izmir, Turkey in April 2010. 2009 Presidio Dance Theatre was selected as SF Weekly's "Best Dance Company of 2009" 2009 Presidio Dance Theatre Academy won "Best Dance Classes in the San Francisco Bay Area" by Nickelodeon Television's Parents Choice Awards. 2009 KRONTV4: Nomination for "BEST OF THE BAY AWARD" for Best Dance Studio in the SF BAY AREA 2009 Presidio Dance Theatre is selected to perform for the San Francisco Ethnic Dance Festival "Opening Weekend Headliners," featuring the choreography of Sherene Melania 2008 Nickelodeon Television's Parents Picks' Award for "BEST ARTSY PROGRAM" in the SF Bay Area 2008 300th Anniversary of Tsarskoye Selo Festival Participation Award From the Russian Federation Ministry of Culture 2007 Coming Up Taller Award nomination from the President's Committee On Arts and Humanities, Washington DC 2007 Appointment to the San Francisco Arts Commission, Artistic Director Sherene Melania by Honorable Mayor Gavin Newsom, to represent the field of dance in the City and County of San Francisco. 2006 Jefferson Award presented by the American Institute for Public Service, Washington DC, to Judy Bretschneider, Founder and Executive Director of PPAF. This award is considered the Nobel Prize for public service. 2006 Hot Shots Award for Exemplary Public Service presented by San Francisco State University to Alumna Judy Bretschneider, Founder and Executive Director of PPAF. 2005 Creative Achievement Award from the San Francisco Unified School District for the DANCE OUT! outreach program 2005 Award of Excellence from the Presidio Trust presented by Executive Director of the Presidio Trust Craig Middleton 2004-current "Exemplary Rating" from California Arts Council/National Endowment of the Arts |