Our Studio
Sebastopol Ballet School was originally opened in 1991 by Susan Borgeson, Lois Hartman, and Paula Martens, and for 19 years the school was located at the Sebastopol Community Center. In 2011, SBS moved to its own space at current location (read the story published in the Sonoma West Times).
After Paula retired from teaching at both SBS and the Sebastopol USD, Lily Borgeson and Hannah Paddock joined Susan and Lois as co-owners of SBS. Since that time, Lois has also retired and Susan is now semi-retired, only teaching Adult Ballet, much to her students’ delight.
Sebastopol Ballet School is now fully owned by Hannah Paddock, who has been part of the Sebastopol Ballet family for many years. She began taking ballet lessons from Margo Torbert and Susan Borgeson at Santa Rosa Ballet in 1998 to supplement her dance skills as a competitive gymnast – and performed in her first Nutcracker Ballet as a tumbling Gingersnap that same year. After Santa Rosa Ballet closed, she continued her ballet training at Sebastopol Ballet School, and eventually became a teacher, then a business partner, and is now the Director of SBS.
Hannah plans to continue – and build on – the legacy that Sue, Lois and Paula created.
You can read more about Hannah and the rest of the Sebastopol Ballet teachers on the Staff Bios page.
by Sonoma West Times & News, November 7, 2017
Dancers with the Sebastopol Ballet company performed several pieces from “The Nutcracker” at a book launch event for Barbara Baer, author of the newly self-published novel, The Ballet Lover, at the Sonoma Wine Shop/La Bodega on Sunday, November 5. The Sebastopol Ballet will perform the perennial holiday favorite on the weekend of Dec. 15-17 at Analy High School.
Baer, who lives in Forestville, will host discussion at the Occidental Center for the Arts on Nov. 19 of her semi-fictionalized work, which focuses on the controversial moment that Baer witnessed as a reporter, when Rudolf Nureyev failed to catch his partner Natalia Makarova at a Paris performance and allowed her to crash on stage.
by Sonoma West Times & News, December 3, 2013
Sebastopol Ballet has been a triple partnership for 21 years, co-owned by Sue Borgeson, Paula Martens and Lois Hartman. Sue is the artistic director for The Nutcracker, and she is assisted by Paula and Lois in all aspects of the production, a family tradition since 1991.
Where do The Nutcracker’s dancers come from and how are they chosen?
Most dancers are students of the Sebastopol Ballet. The cast is completed by parents in the party scene, alumni dancers and, of course, our stellar guest artists. We cast all who audition and re-define and sometimes create parts to accommodate changes from year to year.
Continue reading the Sonoma West Times & News article (PDF)
by Kimberly Kaido-Alvarez, Sonoma West Times & News, November 2, 2011
After 19 years at the Sebastopol Community Cultural Center, Sebastopol Ballet School now has its very own dance studio.
“It all happened very quickly,” said Director Susan Borgeson, who along with others in the organization, often dreamed of having a space dedicated just to dance.
Juggling schedules, especially during the busy rehearsal season before the annual “Nutcracker” performance, was often a challenge for students and teacher alike.
Continue reading the Sonoma West Times & News article (PDF)
by Kimberly Kaido-Alvarez, Sonoma West Times & News, June 15, 2011
Four dancers from the Sebastopol Ballet Company will be moving on after a grand finale performance during the 19th annual Spring recital.
The show that will feature the talents of about 80 local ballet students from preschool to high school, is scheduled to take place at Analy High School on Saturday, June 18 at 3 p.m.
Senior dancers and 2011 high school graduates, Amy Ebright, Jessica Reynor, Simone Evett and Kaitlin Nulton plan to challenge themselves with a selection of classical dances from “La Bayadere,” before switching their focus to collegiate endeavors.
“They’re all beautiful dancers and very committed,” said Instructor and Co-Director of the Sebastopol Ballet Company, Susan Borgeson.