Organization: PRESIDIO PERFORMING ARTS FOUNDATION
Mission: PRESIDIO REFORMING ARTS FOUNDATION WAS FOUNDED IN 1998, AND IS DEDICATED TO THE PRESERVATION, ENHANCEMENT, AND PRESENTATION OF YOUTH PERFORMING ARTS AND EDUCATION, WITH AN EMPHASIS ON BALLET, WORLD DANCE, MUSIC AND THEATRE
Activities: IN FEB. 2018, PPAF MOVED TO THE XIAN YUN ACADEMY OF THE ARTS (XY). WE ARE NOW BASED AT 1950 PAGE STREET. XIAN YUN ACADEMY OF THE ARTS (XY) BOASTS THE LARGEST DANCE STUDIOS IN SF. THEIR FACILITY IS FANTASTIC AND BRING GREAT COLLABORATIVE GROWTH OPPORTUNITIES FOR OUR RESPECTIVE ORGANIZATIONS. OUR EDUCATIONAL PARTNERSHIP IS EVOLVING. XY INSTRUCTORS PROVIDE A WEEKLY BALLET TECHNIAQUE CLASS FOR PDT STUDENTS. PDT AND XY ARE WORKING TOGETHER TO EXPAND OUR SUMMER CAMP JOINT OFFERINGS AS WELL AS PROVIDING QUARTERLY MASTER CLASSES. WE ARE ADDITOINALLY PLANNING TO OFFER FREE ON-SITE COMMUNITY DAYS/OPEN HOUSES AND PUBLIC PERFORMANCES.OUR BOARD VIEWED THIS TRANSITION AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO ANALYZE OUR ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE, EVALUATING PROGRAMS, AS THEY ALIGNED WITH OUR MISSION AND VISION. NO LONGER HAVING THE BURDEN OF AN ASTRONOMICAL RENT, PPAF HAS THE POTENTIAL TO EXPAND OUR PROGRAMS, STAFF, AND ARTIST HIRES.WE COMPLETED A STRATEGIC PLANNING PROCESS AND DEVELOPED A NEW STRUCTURE FOCUSING ON 6 CORE AREAS OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND ARTS EDUCATION. WE CONTINUE TO VIEW ALL OF OUR PROGRAMS THROUGH THE LENS OF SOCIAL JUSTICE AND REMAIN DEDICATED TO ENSURING THAT THE ARTS REMAIN VITALLY ACCESSIBLE TO ALL SF BAY AREA RESIDENTS/VISITORS. WE ARE SENSITIVE TO SHIFTING DEMOGRAPHICS WITHIN OUR CITY AND THE NEED TO ACHIEVE RACIAL EQUITY, WITH AN EMPHASIS ON PROGRAMMING FOR NEW IMMIGRANT FAMILIES, UNDERSERVED STUDENTS AND AT-RISK POPULATIONS. AS A RESULT, WE HAVE ELIMINATED OUR PRESCHOOL AND ACADEMY DIVISION.PROGRAMS:1.DANCEOUT! (OUTREACH WORK)OUR GRETEST IMPACT IS TO FACILITATE THE DEVELOPMENT OF EMPATHY, TOLERANCE, AND APPRECIATION FOR THE MYRIAD OF INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITIES RESIDING IN THE BAY AREA, THROUGH THE LANGUAGE OF DANCE.PDT UTILIZES DANCE AS A FORM OF YOUTH DEVELOPMENT, PROVIDING OPPORTUNITIES FOR SUSTAINED ENGAGEMENT IN THE ARTS, ADVANCING RACIAL EQUITY, WHILE BUILDING SOCIAL CAPITAL. OUR OUTREACH PROGRAM CONSISTS OF PROVIDING SCHOLARSHIPS TO UNDERSERVED STUDENTS, AS WELL AS OFFERING FREE PUBLIC PERFORMANCES, LECTURES AND COMMUNITY CLASSES FOR SF BAY AREA RESIDENTS/ VISITORS, SCHOLARSHIP STUDENTS ARE FULLY INTEGRATED IN OUR COMMMUNITY. THEY ARE MOST OFTEN RECRUITED AS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL STUDENTS AND REMAIN IN OUR PROGRAM THROUGH HIGH SCHOOL. WE ADDITIONALY MENTOR THESE STUDENTS OUTSIDE OF THE STUDIO, MONITORING THEIR ACADEMIC TRAJECTORY AND PROVIDING ACADEMIC SUPPORT WHEN NEEDED. IN DOING SO, WE CREATE LIFE PATHS THROUGH DANCE. 45% OF OUR DACEOUT! STUDENTS ARE THE FIRST IN THEIR FAMILIES TO ATTEND A UNIVERSITY. 99% OF OUR DANCEOUT! GRADUATES PURSUE A COLLEGE EDUCATION. WE'RE WORKING TOWARDS RE-ESTABLISHING OUR RATIO OF 50% TUTION PAYING STUDENTS, AS WE HAD FROM 2005-2010, PRIOR TO OUR CALTRANS BUSINESS INTERRUPTION.PPAF ANNUALLY SPONSORS "CHILDREN'S DAY AT THE SF WAR MEMORIAL OPERA HOUSE." FEATURING PDT'S MULTI-GENERATIONAL CAST, PERFORMING EXCERPTS FROM OUR AWARD-WINNING, "DANCING ACROSS CULTURES." PERFORMANCES ARE FULLY NARRATED AND PDT OFFERS TEACHERS A STUDY GUIDE, TO FURTHER ENHANCE THEIR STUDENTS' LEARNING.2.YOUTH COMPANY; WE OFFER ELITE AND ENSEMBLE DIVISION, ACCOMMODATING BOTH PRE-PROFESSIONAL STUDENTS AND BUDDING ARTS ENTHUSISTS. OUR MAIN OBJECTIVE IS TO PROVIDE HIGH QUALITY TRAINING, WITH AN EMPHASIS ON TEACHING CULTURAL DIVERSITY, THEREBY TRAINING THE NEXT GENERATION OF GLOBAL CITIZENS. WE OFFER YEAR-ROUND CLASSES IN ADDITION TO SPECIALITY MASTER CLASSES, DANCE INTENSIVES, AND SUMMER CAMPS. 80% OF OUR GRADUATING SENIORS (INCLUUDING DANCEOUT! MEMBERS) RECEIVE SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITIES FOR DANCE AT VARIOUS UNIVERSITRIES, MOST RECENTLY INCLDUING: STANFORD, COLUMBIA, NYU, UC IRVINE, CHAPMAN, AND DUKE.WHILE OUR MAIN OVJECTIVE IS NOT TO PRODUCE PROFESSIONAL ARTISTS, 10% OF OUR GRADUATES ARE WORKING ARTISTS. RECENT ALUMNI ARE WORKING IN: INTERNATIONAL DANCE COMPANIES (AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL BALLET, HUBBARD STREET DANCE, CHICAGO), ON BROADWAY ("MEAN GIRLSX AND "FINDING NEVERLAND"), AS WELL AS JOINING PDT'S ADULT COMPANY.3.YOUNG AMBASSADORS: IN ADDITION TO LOCAL PERFORMANCES, OUR STUDENTS ACQUIRE CULTURAL DIPLOMACY SKILLS THROUGH THEIR WORK AS YOUNG AMBASSADORS, PARTICIPATING IN INTERNATIONAL TOURS, REPRESENTING SF AND THE US AT VARIOUS FESTIVALS AND SF SISTER CITY EXCHANGES, ALONGSIDE OUR ADULT COMPANY. EACH TOUR ALSO INCLUDES A HUMANITARIAN MISSION. MOST RECENTLY, IN JULY 2017, PDT WAS SELECTED TO OPEN UNESCO'S INTERNATIONAL DANCE COUNCIL'S 50TH WORLD CONGRESS, IN ATHENS, GREECE, AMONGST 48 OTHER NATIONS. DURING THIS TRIP, WE VISITED AN ASSYRIAN REFUGEE CENTER, LEARNING MORE ABOUT THOSE DISPLACED BY ISIS. OUR DLEGATION PERFORMED AT THE CENTER AND ALSO DONATED SUPPLIES. THESE TOURS ALLOW OUR STUDENTS TO ENGAGE IN GLOBAL DIALOGUE, EXPERIENCING THE WAYS IN WHICH THE ARTS HAVE THE POWER TO UNITE PIOPLE, WHILST FOSTERING AN UNDERSTANDING OF OUR SHARED HUMANITY.IN JUNE 2019, PDT WILL PERFORM IN CORK, IRELAND, AS AN SF SISTER CITY EXHANGE.4. INTERNSHIP PROGRAM: PDT REMAINS COMMITTED TO PROVIDING FREE EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES. EACH YEAR PDT OFFERS 4-8 STUDENTS OPPORTUNITIES TO BECOME INTERNS/APPRENTICES (PAID AND UNPAID POSITIONS). WE OFFER HIGH SCHOOL - UNIVERSITY GRADUATE STUDENTS OPPORTUNITIES TO JOIN OUR TEAM: OFFICE SUPPORT; PRODUCTION SUPPORT; PR & MARKETING; AND COMPANY APPRENTICES.5. COMPANY & NEW WORKS: PDT DEVELOPS AND PRESENTS ORIGINAL PRODUCTIONS FOR THE STAGE. BY WORKING WITH ARTISTS FROM A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT GENRES, PDT IS CONTINUOUSLY EXPANDING OUR ARTIST POOL AND BROADENING THE SCOPE OF OUR WORK.WE VIEW OUR PERFORMANCES AS A MEANS OF SUPPORTING CROSS-CULTURAL DIALOGUE, COLLABORATIVE CREATIVE PROCESSES, RESULTING IN THE PRESENTATION OF RELEVANT INCLUSIVE, NEW WORK.PDT CURRENTLY PRESENTS A WINTER AND SPRING SEASON OF PERFORMANCES. OUR REPERTOIRE OF FULL LENGTH PRODUCTIONS INCLUDES: BEYOND THE LAND OF SWEETS, PINK SLIPPER CLUB, THE LITTLE LANTERN BALLET AND DANCING ACROSS CULTURES. WE ADDITIONALLY PRESENT COMMISSIONED WORK, IN COLLABORATION WITH VARIOUS NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS.WE ARE CURRENTLY IN EARLY CREATION PHASES OF A NEW FULL LENGTH, PRODUCTION TO PREMIERE IN 2020. "THE LEGEND OF ARARGATIS. "THE STORY IS BASED ON AN ASSYRIAN TALE OF THE FIRST MERMAID. THE MULTI-DISCIPLINARY PRODUCTION WILL EXPOSE AUDIENCES O AN ENDANGERED POPULATION, AS WELL AS EXAMINING GENDER ROLES AND WOMEN'S EMPOWERMENT.6.HUMANITARIAN WORK:PDT SEES DANCE AS THE MOST BASIC VEHICLE TO PROMOTE COMPASSION, UNDERSTANDING AND EQUITY. WE HAVE BEEN COMMISSIONED TO CHOREOGRAPH AND PERFORM FOR HUMANITARIAN ORGANIZATIONS SUCH AS THE UNITED NATIONS, INTERNATIONAL RED CROSS, UNESCO, ASSYRIAN AID SOCIETY, ASSYRIAN ARTS INSTITUTE, UCSF'S BRAIN CANCER RESEARCH CENTER, MAKE-A-WISH FOUNDATION AND OTHER HUMANITARIAN CAUSES.MOST RECENTLY PDT HAS EMBRACED ARTISTS FROM: PALESTINE; SYRIA; IRAN; AZERBAIJAN; LEBANON; IRAQ; KYRGYZSTAN; THE REPUBLIC OF GEORGIA; UGANDA AND LATIN AMERICA. MANY ARTISTS HAVE FOUND A REFUGE IN PDT AND AS REFUGEES/IMMIGRANTS, PDT HAS PROVIDED A SAFE SPACE AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR ASSIMILATION TO THE US. WORKING WITH UNDERREPRESENTED ARTISTS FROM CONFLICT RIDDEN COUNTRIES, FOSTERS AN APPRECIATION FOR THE ARTS AS A CATALYST OF SOCIAL CHANGE; HIGHLIGHTING OUR SHARED HUMANITY AND TRADITIONS.
NTEE category: Arts, Culture & Humanities
Secondary category: Youth Development