01 & 14 (48)Public Comment
From: Haley Michelle <
Sent: Wednesday, April 21, 2021 9:08 PM
To: Public Comment
Subject: Cooperative Agreement with Anaheim Ballet
Dear Mayor Sidhu and Council Members,
Please allow me to introduce myself. My name is Haley (26 y/o) and I moved to southern California in
September of 2020 when my boyfriend's job relocated us. I have a temporary work -from -home job due to Covid
so I don't get out of the house much, but I commute several days a week from Newport to Anaheim to take class
at Anaheim Ballet. I participate in adult classes as well as level 4/5 classes and Anaheim Ballet has become my
reason for being in California after I was forced to move here. I've begun to build a camaraderie with both the
adults and the high school/middle school students I take class with. I get a first hand view of how hard these
kids work, how dedicated they are to their work, and how valuable Anaheim Ballet is to their growth. Dara is 12
years old, she often takes class with much older and more advanced students, and she is absolutely fearless. I
am inspired by the way this little girl jumps into advanced ballet classes and tackles everything as best she can,
and I know she is so lucky to have the opportunity to do so. I grew up in Connecticut, where I went to ballet
classes or rehearsals every day and spent all of my free time watching ballet videos on Youtube. I remember
being about Dara's age, laying on my bed watching the Anaheim Ballet dancer profile videos for hours. Those
videos were filmed in studio A and every single time I walk into that studio I think about how my 12 year old
self would hysterically cry if she could have known that in 14 years she would get to take ballet class in that
exact space with the directors of Anaheim Ballet. The first time I told all of my ballet friends back home where
I take class, they all said "WOW I used to LOVE watching their videos on Youtube!" - and I know Anaheim
Ballet has inspired many more generations of ballet dancers in many more states and countries.
I could go on for pages about how invaluable Anaheim Ballet is to me and my life, but I can't ask for that much
of your time. I can only hope that other members of the community can share with you the ways Anaheim
Ballet benefits the city as a whole. Please consider that the Anaheim Cultural Arts Center, home of Anaheim
Ballet, is so much more than an old building.
Please vote in support of the Cooperative Agreement with Anaheim Ballet. Thank you for your consideration.
Regards,
Haley Altman-Cipot