01 & 14 (193)From:
Vivian Gottheiner
To:
Public Comment
Subject:
CoCoperative Agreement with Anaheim Ballet
Date:
Monday, April 26, 20214:57:58 PM
Dear Mayor Sidhu and Council Members,
The arts are an important part of any community, and for more than 20 years,
Anaheim Ballet has been a valued arts force and presence in Anaheim.
In fact, through Anaheim Ballet's You Tube videos, viewed more than 65 million
times from all over the world, Anaheim has gained International recognition in the
cultural world of dance. Students travel from all over the world for their Summer
Intensives (barring Covid).
This would not have been possible without the cooperative relationship the City of
Anaheim engaged with Anaheim Ballet over 20 years ago.
The Step -Up program was developed to provide free dance lessons to any youth
interested to give the future citizens of Anaheim the ability to take dance classes,
learn about the arts, gain self confidence, to concentrate, see progress when you
stick with a task and make friends without needing to join a gang.
Anyone of those Step-up students showing promise & desire are segued into the
regular curriculum and have gone on to dance with other ballet companies.
Besides this Step - Up program, Anaheim Ballet provides training in ballet, jazz,
and hip hop, bus -in presentations, lecture/demonstrations and concert
performances and has been recognized both locally and internationally as a point
of pride to the City.
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. All the positive influences described above will no
longer be available to the citizens of Anaheim nor it's neighbors.
In 20 years it is impossible to calculate how many lives have been touched in some
way by Anaheim Ballet either as a Step -Up student, a regular curriculum student
including adults, audience member, volunteer, You Tube follower or parent. I do
know that number would be enormous (4 bus ins/yr with 5k kids each time is an
example).
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,
Vivian Gottheiner
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