San Diego Civic Youth Ballet Summer Programs
Casa del Prado, 1650 El Prado, Suite 209, San Diego, CA 92101
About
San Diego Civic Youth Ballet Summer Programs include summer camps, summer intensives, and artist enrichment opportunities that feature ballet, jazz, arts and crafts, music, choreography, daily ballet technique, pointe, variations, modern, Progressing Ballet Technique (PBT), Pilates, and injury prevention. The program also offers classical ballet classes, programs for boys, a homeschool program, and programs for dancers with disabilities as part of its broader offerings.
• Ages: 4–18 years old
• Schedule: Summer camps run as 4-day and 5-day sessions, and the Advanced Intensive is a three-week full-day program while the Intermediate Intensive is a two-week full-day program.
• Price: Summer camps tuition is $190 for a 5-day camp and $150 for a 4-day camp with a 10% sibling discount; Advanced Intensive tuition is $1,200 or $1,100 if paid in full by April 1st; Intermediate Intensive tuition is $700 or $650 if paid in full by April 1st.
San Diego Civic Youth Ballet was founded in 1945 and has been the resident classical ballet school in Balboa Park for almost 80 years. The organization offers over 50 classes weekly and presents four major productions each year, including a full-length spring ballet, an annual school-wide Spring Showcase, Fairy Tales in the Park, and The Nutcracker. Summer Camps for ages 4 to 10 include ballet, jazz, arts and crafts and more, with small class sizes capped at 15 students per camp, personal attention from professional instructors, and an end-of-camp in-studio performance for family and friends. The Advanced Intensive and Intermediate Intensive also conclude with an in-studio performance and reception for family and friends.
San Diego Civic Youth Ballet offers weekly boys ballet classes that focus on strength, conditioning, and athleticism required by male ballet dancers, as well as a thriving homeschool program offering cultural enrichment. Since 2015, the “Ballet for Me!” class has provided a 10-week, tuition-waived classical ballet class designed specifically for children ages 7 to 18 with disabilities or unique physical needs. The organization states that it offers some of the lowest tuition rates in the city and operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
The mission of San Diego Civic Youth Ballet is to provide the youth of San Diego with an opportunity to study, understand and appreciate, through education and participation, the art of ballet, and to enrich the cultural life of the community. The leadership team includes Artistic Director Danika Pramik-Holdaway, Interim Executive Director Jennifer Lesaigle, Operations Manager Gaby Mendoza, Artistic Programming Manager and Ballet Instructor Leila Gardner, Outreach and Marketing Coordinator and Ballet Instructor Jess Carr, Education Services Coordinator Lucia Padilla, Ballet Instructors Denise Dabrowski, Jessica Reed, and Shantel Mora, Outreach Instructor Lisette Morris, and a Board of Directors.
Past years’ intensives have featured guest faculty such as John Lam, Kai Davis, Laura Dunlop, Ahita Ardalan Bergman, Jennifer Curry Wingrove, and Tiffany Case Singlar, along with other instructors who have added styles such as modern, jazz, and musical theatre. Faculty biographies include professional training and performance experience with organizations such as Boston Ballet, Pacific Northwest Ballet School, Kansas City Ballet II, BalletMet 2, City Ballet of San Diego, Cincinnati Ballet, Washington Ballet, San Diego Ballet, Los Angeles Ballet, and Company C Contemporary Ballet, as well as teaching and program leadership roles at various schools and universities.
San Diego Civic Youth Ballet’s Educational Outreach Program, established in 2003, brings ballet instruction into San Diego public school classrooms and offers discounted performances of The Nutcracker to school groups and scout troops. Fairy Tales in the Park is described as a whimsical tradition featuring excerpts of classic tales narrated by a professional storyteller, with proceeds benefiting the SDCYB Scholarship Fund. The organization also notes that relationships with school groups and scout troops continue through discounted tickets to ballet performances.
Parent and alumni testimonials describe instruction that includes rigor, precision, etiquette, and the joy of dance, as well as experiences of long-term training, a welcoming environment, and lasting connections with the school. Testimonials from current and former families reference students beginning in early childhood, continuing through their teen years, and returning as adults to take class, and they describe impacts on artistry, character, confidence, and friendships.
Last updated June 29, 2026.
• Ages: 4–18 years old
• Schedule: Summer camps run as 4-day and 5-day sessions, and the Advanced Intensive is a three-week full-day program while the Intermediate Intensive is a two-week full-day program.
• Price: Summer camps tuition is $190 for a 5-day camp and $150 for a 4-day camp with a 10% sibling discount; Advanced Intensive tuition is $1,200 or $1,100 if paid in full by April 1st; Intermediate Intensive tuition is $700 or $650 if paid in full by April 1st.
San Diego Civic Youth Ballet was founded in 1945 and has been the resident classical ballet school in Balboa Park for almost 80 years. The organization offers over 50 classes weekly and presents four major productions each year, including a full-length spring ballet, an annual school-wide Spring Showcase, Fairy Tales in the Park, and The Nutcracker. Summer Camps for ages 4 to 10 include ballet, jazz, arts and crafts and more, with small class sizes capped at 15 students per camp, personal attention from professional instructors, and an end-of-camp in-studio performance for family and friends. The Advanced Intensive and Intermediate Intensive also conclude with an in-studio performance and reception for family and friends.
San Diego Civic Youth Ballet offers weekly boys ballet classes that focus on strength, conditioning, and athleticism required by male ballet dancers, as well as a thriving homeschool program offering cultural enrichment. Since 2015, the “Ballet for Me!” class has provided a 10-week, tuition-waived classical ballet class designed specifically for children ages 7 to 18 with disabilities or unique physical needs. The organization states that it offers some of the lowest tuition rates in the city and operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
The mission of San Diego Civic Youth Ballet is to provide the youth of San Diego with an opportunity to study, understand and appreciate, through education and participation, the art of ballet, and to enrich the cultural life of the community. The leadership team includes Artistic Director Danika Pramik-Holdaway, Interim Executive Director Jennifer Lesaigle, Operations Manager Gaby Mendoza, Artistic Programming Manager and Ballet Instructor Leila Gardner, Outreach and Marketing Coordinator and Ballet Instructor Jess Carr, Education Services Coordinator Lucia Padilla, Ballet Instructors Denise Dabrowski, Jessica Reed, and Shantel Mora, Outreach Instructor Lisette Morris, and a Board of Directors.
Past years’ intensives have featured guest faculty such as John Lam, Kai Davis, Laura Dunlop, Ahita Ardalan Bergman, Jennifer Curry Wingrove, and Tiffany Case Singlar, along with other instructors who have added styles such as modern, jazz, and musical theatre. Faculty biographies include professional training and performance experience with organizations such as Boston Ballet, Pacific Northwest Ballet School, Kansas City Ballet II, BalletMet 2, City Ballet of San Diego, Cincinnati Ballet, Washington Ballet, San Diego Ballet, Los Angeles Ballet, and Company C Contemporary Ballet, as well as teaching and program leadership roles at various schools and universities.
San Diego Civic Youth Ballet’s Educational Outreach Program, established in 2003, brings ballet instruction into San Diego public school classrooms and offers discounted performances of The Nutcracker to school groups and scout troops. Fairy Tales in the Park is described as a whimsical tradition featuring excerpts of classic tales narrated by a professional storyteller, with proceeds benefiting the SDCYB Scholarship Fund. The organization also notes that relationships with school groups and scout troops continue through discounted tickets to ballet performances.
Parent and alumni testimonials describe instruction that includes rigor, precision, etiquette, and the joy of dance, as well as experiences of long-term training, a welcoming environment, and lasting connections with the school. Testimonials from current and former families reference students beginning in early childhood, continuing through their teen years, and returning as adults to take class, and they describe impacts on artistry, character, confidence, and friendships.
Last updated June 29, 2026.
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