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Ballet is the name of the game at the Sonoma Ballet Conservatory
This month marks the fifth anniversary for Patty O’Reilly’s tutelage at the Sonoma Ballet Conservatory and she and her students will be celebrating the occasion with an in-studio dance showcase on Feb. 27 at 5 p.m. The show is open to the public, making it easy for interested students and their parents to see what the studio is all about.
That includes a serious attitude towards classical ballet Since 1970, Sonoma Ballet Conservatory has taught dance to hundreds of young girls, and the occasional boy, from the Valley and beyond. The curriculum is rigorous, based on the Royal Academy of Dance syllabus, and O’Reilly herself is a Royal Academy certified instructor – no small feat. She sets a high standard her students and typically, they rise to the occasion.
“It’s difficult to find serious dance instruction for children,” says Sonoma Ballet Conservatory parent, Kelly Gistelli, who brings her 15-year-old daughter from Napa for lessons. “But if your child wants to be a professional dancer – really wants to go all the way – Patty can take her there.”
Currently, there are 11 students readying themselves for the Royal Academy of Dance exams. When O’Reilly began teaching at the school, there were just two students interested in pushing themselves to this level. Last year there were six. The numbers grow each year, which makes O’Reilly pleased with her standards and proud of the accomplishments of her students. It should be noted the two original exam takers – O’Reilly’s own daughter, Erin, and another student Kellyn Lopes – have both gone on to dance following high school at the San Francisco Conservatory of Dance and Marymount Manhattan College, respectively.
For O’Reilly, the five-year anniversary is a bit bittersweet. She had just taken over the studio from Beth Marie Deenihan when her husband, Daniel, a 43-three-year-old marketing analyst with Kendall-Jackson, was struck and killed by a drunk driver while riding his bike home from work. Sonoma Ballet Conservatory became Patty O’Reilly’s solace, helping her deal with the immense level of grief she and her two young daughters felt. She poured her heart and soul into teaching and the results show.
Regardless of a student’s goals, O’Reilly treats everyone as if they are destined to be a professional dancer. At the middle school level students come, at a minimum, three days each week. Like any sport, practice makes perfect. O’Reilly brings other techniques to make lessons fun and keep students motivated. From yoga to Pilates, Feldenkkrais to Gynrokenisis, the subtle education students receive is astonishing. This is especially important for younger students like preschoolers, whose tiny bodies need to learn to bend correctly so as to not risk injury later.
O’Reilly encourages all of her students to audition for elite summer programs so they can continue their dance studies. “I like to give my students the tools to make it in the bigger dance world,” said O’Reilly. “Whether or not they want to pursue a career in dance, it is rewarding to achieve in ballet. And the work ethic, discipline and time management skills instilled in my students gives them excellent training for life.”
Performing is a big part of any ballet training and Sonoma Ballet Conservatory holds a yearly recital each summer. The students also performed at the Sonoma Valley Hospital Foundation’s Magic of Christmas event and O’Reilly is always looking for additional performance opportunities to give students as much exposure as possible. Dance field trips are also part of the curriculum and the students are going to see the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre in March.
“Patty keeps it exciting. I know the difference and there is an extremely high level to the quality of instruction here. SBC is a little jewel,” said Gistelli.
Sonoma Academy of Dance serves up the arts
Sarah Duran LeVine’s dream-come-true is getting ready to celebrate its five-year anniversary. Sonoma Academy of Dance and Arts, the performing arts school she longed to open as a 14-year-old girl is now a local institution to which hundreds of children flock each week. Offering classes in everything from dance to music to yoga, with an incredible summer program thrown in for fun, the academy is an inspiring place to hang around.
“We have amazing, passionate teachers who come from all over the Bay Area to instruct our students,” said Duran LeVine. “They bring talents that Sonoma doesn’t always get to see and the kids really thrive in the energy that results.”
Thrive they do. Some 150 dance and 75 music students pass through the Sonoma Academy of Dance and Arts doors each week. Classes run Monday through Friday from the early morning for the pre-school set into the evening hours for high school students. There are even classes for adults – a new series, “Break dancing for Dads,” is sure to be popular. During the summer, Duran LeVine’s favorite time of year, dozens of different camps happen under the one roof. From cartooning to archaeology, fairy princesses to fashion designing, there is a camp for almost every imaginable creative medium.
Duran LeVine is quick to point out that the academy serves as many boys as girls. In fact, in the dance classes, there is a 50/50 ratio of boys to girls – of this, she is particularly proud. “The boys do hip-hop and break dancing for the most part. They have a lot of fun being here and learning new moves.”
Duran LeVine is all about teaching and exposing children to new things. Her parents are ardent supporters of the arts and, growing up, they took her and her brother, Paulino, to the theatre, concerts and dance shows from an early age. Today, Paulino Duran is a professional singer and dancer, starring in San Francisco’s Beach Blanket Babylon. He also founded and runs Sonoma’s Broadway Bound Kids with Jeanie Borchelt.
“The Duran family has lived in Sonoma for more than 30 years and they are true ambassadors for children,” said Borchelt via e-mail. “The entire family does an outstanding job of producing an excellent program for children with both BBK and SADA. They offer things the schools can no longer provide. This is an incredibly generous family.”
Sarah Duran Levine was captivated by dance and dreamed of the day she could open her own studio in Sonoma where children of all ages could hone their skills and talents. That day came in May 2004 and ever since, the academy has been her one true labor of love.
Over the course of the past five years, the academy has been supported, in large part, by her entrepreneurial husband, Jesse LeVine. “He knew going in that this was my passion, not my livelihood,” said Duran Levine. “I didn’t open the studio to make money but to give kids a place to go. It’s the perfect spot, centrally located and safe to bike to for many children. And they love it here. They’ve named the garden, ‘The Secret Garden,’ after the book. They work inside and then come out here to play and climb trees and catch frogs. The whole place is their great escape.”
