(FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 1, 2008. San Jose, CA)

SILICON VALLEY CAPITAL CLUB SPONSORS GALA EVENT FOR BALLET SAN JOSE

Who: Silicon Valley Capital Club and Ballet San Jose with special honoree, Noel Lee, founder and CEO of Monster Cable Products.

What: “A Night In Casablanca” Gala Event.   An elegant evening featuring a paired wine dinner, silent and live auctions, music and dancing.

When: Saturday, October 4, 2008.  6:00pm to Midnight

Where: Corinthian Events Center, 196 North Third Street in downtown San Jose

Why: Ballet San Jose is one of the largest professional ballet companies in the United States. Its school is internationally recognized and serves over 360 children ages 4 to 19. The proceeds from this event will benefit Ballet San Jose and provide critical funding to upgrade and renovate the ballet studios and create a new studio theater used to expand the school’s services, increase Education and Outreach programs and make space available to outside community organizations.

Tickets: $200 per person with sponsorship opportunities available.

Reservations: Call Silicon Valley Capital Club general manager, Michael Comerate at 408.971.9300

Julian Lacey (age 13) and Audrey Steinbach (age 15) are just 2 of the over 360 young people who study ballet and Ballet San Jose SCHOOL. Silicon Valley Capital Clubs hopes that its "A Night In Casablanca" Gala Event will raise at least $100,000 to benefit Ballet San Jose and its school programs.

EXPANDED INFORMATION:

Silicon Valley Capital Club in partnership with Ballet San Jose is pleased to be hosting a very special gala event, "A Night In Casablanca" on October 4th honoring Mr. Noel Lee, founder and CEO of Monster Cable Products.  This very exciting and elegant evening will feature a paired wine dinner, silent and live auction as well as a live band and dancing. The proceeds of the evening event will benefit Ballet San Jose and provide critical funding to upgrade and renovate the ballet studios and create a new studio theater used to expand BSJ’S school services, increase Education and Outreach programs and make space available to outside community organizations.

Ballet San Jose is one of the largest professional ballet companies in the United States and produces a series of world-class ballet programs from October through May each season. The company just returned from a landmark five-week, eight-city Goodwill Tour of China. The company’s school is internationally recognized and recently won two gold medals in international competition in Italy. Serving over 360 young people from ages 4 to 19, Ballet San Jose SCHOOL also boasts an extensive education and outreach program that provides free workshops for hundreds of “at risk” elementary students throughout the community each year. Scholarship programs and special classes offer training to many who could not afford to attend dance classes were it not for these opportunities.

Ballet San Jose also offers a In-Theater outreach program that attracts about 10,000 students per season to the Center for the Performing Arts for fully staged professional performances that introduce students to ballet and live theater.  BSJ focuses on under-served populations in Santa Clara County’s school districts. Ballet San Jose School also invites students to their studios to get an up-close and personal experience in the world of dance by watching a professional dance class in action, and by participating in a class themselves.  After having the introductory experience, if they so desire, students are given the opportunity to individually participate in an 18-week course of study at absolutely NO cost to themselves.

This wonderful program, entitled “The First Step” includes free dance classes, free uniforms and shoes, and even free laundry services. This free semester would normally cost $375 per student.  The uniform (tights, leotard, slippers for girls, and shirt, shorts, slippers for boys) is a $100 value. This year, Ballet San Jose School also invited the First Step kids to participate in the Summer Intensive, which is an additional $125 value. From 15 – 25 kids are expected to participate in this program. The projected cost for just this outreach program is from $9,000 to $15,000 not counting laundry services.  The school hopes to increase the number of students it serves next season.

Exterior & interior views of the Corinthian Events Center

The funds raised from “Casablanca” will be earmarked for the renovation and creation of a ballet “In Studio Theatre” on the 4th floor of their current ballet building at 40 N. First St., downtown San Jose. This will permit Ballet San Jose to bring more students and potential dancers to the studio and offer greater exposure and opportunity for students and Company dancers as well.  New works and student recital performances will fill the space. Larger numbers of local students will be able to come to this site, become inspired by these first rate performances, and watch dancers who reflect their own heritage as they aspire to be like them.

More information about Ballet San Jose and Ballet San Jose SCHOOL and Silicon Valley Capital Club.