01 & 14 (128)Public Comment
From: Vanessa Sah <
Sent: Sunday, April 25, 2021 1:29 AM
To: Public Comment
Cc: Anaheim Ballet
Subject: Anaheim Ballet's Impact on Me and the Community - My Plea for A Cooperative
Agreement
Dear Mayor Sidhu and Council Members,
The city of Anaheim is known for making magic and joy accessible to 25 million people a year, of all ages, backgrounds, and
countries.
For more than 20 years, Anaheim Ballet has influenced the community who would bring that magical world to life, by being "More
Than Dance" and teaching valuable lessons that go further than knowing the difference between a plie and a tendu. The Anaheim
Cultural Arts Center (the current home of the Anaheim Ballet) is slated to be demolished without plans for a new Cultural Arts Center
or home for the Anaheim Ballet. The goal of this message is to ask you to vote in support of the Cooperative Agreement with
Anaheim Ballet, by providing examples of how it has positively impacted my life and this community.
Here's are some of the values Anaheim Ballet embodies:
Relentlessly High Standards and Honest Encouragement Leads to True Confidence
• I started ballet as an adult. In the ballet world, there are two philosophies to this type of student: 1) adult students
will never be able to learn ballet and blend in with the professionals... "it's just too late," so classes are closed to
those over a certain age, or 2) the adults are allowed to dabble in the "hobby," given an uninterested pat on the back
for each effort, and not truly held accountable to learning the skills and techniques. Adults either abandon their ideas
to learn ballet when they see a closed door, or they continue with watered-down lessons, half -learning the technique
with a soluble self-confidence that dissolves into insecurity with first drop of sweat.
• Larry and Sarma did not take either approach to me as a beginning adult student. They did not care about the age in
which I started and allowed me to take the same intense classes as the kids, and held me to the same high standard,
day -after -day, tendu-after-tendu. Larry was my college teacher at CSUF and after taking hours and hours of classes,
I received a `B" in beginning ballet. I asked him why, when I tried "so hard" and he said "You haven't learned how
to do it right yet. But it'll get there and when you do, you'll get the A." This is the same standard at the Anaheim
Ballet school.No one gets buy on effort alone, but you're also not lacking in the tools and support needed to achieve
true learning. Decades later, I've been able to take classes laced with professional dancers in New York, Paris, San
Francisco, Florida, Utah, London. The instructors have always assumed I've had a strong career as a professional
ballerina, and I can fit in with some of the best teachers in the industry, always able to improve my skills. These
dance organizations have no idea that I'm actually a professional business person in the travel industry, not a
ballerina or ex -ballerina. What it comes down to is: I have the knowledge that I truly AM capable of doing anything
I want in this life, if I'm willing to try, and if I find the right teachers. This true, real confidence, has evolved to
having the courage to learn a new language as an adult, interview and win a professional job in Paris managing
french -speaking clients overseeing the luxury hotels down the Champs Elysees. Without the effects of the lessons
they taught me at Anaheim Ballet, I would never have had the courage to do what no one in my family has ever
done and break the social and economic patterns Igrew up with. Anaheim Ballet's impact goes far beyond
teaching simple tendus from 4pm - 7pm. The lessons learned here are long-lasting, and they teach them to
anyone willing to learn. It's never too late.
Dignity despite Hardship
• Anaheim Ballet is located in a part of town afflicted by challenges of all kinds: poverty, gang violence, social
inequity. With their Step -Up! program, they offer free ballet and hip-hop classes to kids right after school. At the
barye, these kids spend their free time learning how to stand tall with grace and regain their balance whenever
life/their teacher challenges them with a difficult combination. They stay out of trouble and learn the lessons for
building their confidence to become productive members of society.
Inclusion & Diversity
• If you look at the symbol for Anaheim Ballet, you'll see the dancers are made up of many different colors, with
shape and definition. This was intentional. Anaheim Ballet has always welcomed people from any background, of
all shapes and sizes, and strives to teach anyone who has a desire to learn. Their dancers have "made it" all around
the world for many different types of dance companies: Copenhagan, Harlem Dance Theater, Houston Ballet,
Tokyo... the list goes on and on.
Perseverance & Tenacity
• Ballet does not come naturally to the human body. It takes years of work, dedication, focused attention, constant
refinement, and a clear vision of what the goal is. Plus, learning ballet comes with its bumps. In the multi -decade
process of trying to learn elegance with Anaheim Ballet, I've been anything but. I've: tripped, wobbled, plowed
head-on into members of the cast when blinded by stage lights, slipped and fallen on "snow" while running onstage,
dropped props, fallen flat on my face due to a miscalculation in front of thousands of people, and more. Each time, I
was taught to take those mistakes in stride, solve the problem and maintain my dignity at all costs. At the end of
every show, no one ever even noticed my momentary blips. The audience members would talk about how inspired
they were to see people do things they didn't think were possible, or how beautiful they found the show. The lesson?
The little 2 -second mistakes we think are the end of the world... aren't. The bumps and errors are going to happen,
no matter what. It's how we recover that matters, and that's what people remember.
Confidence & Courage
• You think it's magical to see a child see Disneyland for the first time, surrounded by parades, fairies, and cartoon
characters? That's nice, but it pales in compared to the expression of surprised joy that comes when a child finally
accomplishes an artistic goal and they realize, in that moment, they are not the sum of their limitations or fears.
What they were wearing, where they came from, their age, whatever home life they escaped, the language they
speak ... it doesn't matter in that instant they execute a simple movement in a way that let's them see themselves as
capable of anything. That's what is truly magical. Because of Anaheim ballet and the guidance of their dedicated
teachers, kids have a chance to practice & demonstrate excellence every single day. These values stay with these
kids long into adulthood.
That's what Anaheim Ballet means by "more than dance.
The Anaheim Cultural Arts Center (the current home of the Anaheim Ballet) is slated to be demolished without plans for a new
Cultural Arts Center or home for the Anaheim Ballet. If the City demolishes this architecturally unique building, you will be removing
the only Cultural Arts Center in the City and displacing the City's treasured arts organization. It is best for the community, and
especially for our underserved youth, that Anaheim Ballet remains in its current accessible location.
Please vote in support of the Cooperative Agreement with Anaheim Ballet. Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
Vanessa Sah