Presidio Dance Theatre Youth Classes
Smuin Contemporary Ballet | Smuin Center for Dance, 1830 17th St, San Francisco, CA 94103
About
Presidio Dance Theatre Youth Classes include dance and performing arts training that combines the Vaganova ballet curriculum with classical character and international folk dance. Classes also include cultural enrichment, community service, leadership opportunities, and strength and conditioning.
• Ages: 5–18 years old
Under the leadership of Sherene Melania and the Presidio Performing Arts Foundation, Presidio Dance Theatre has a twenty-six year history of advancing justice through dance, and the youth program is performance based with local, national, and international performance opportunities, including official San Francisco Sister City Exchanges and UNESCO's International Dance Council's global festivals. The curriculum exceeds the state of California’s arts education metrics and is offered in a body-positive, gender and sexuality inclusive context, and the organization is currently only accepting new students for Intermediate/Advanced classes. The program is part of a female led organization whose New Works Series focuses on stories of women’s empowerment and examining gender roles throughout the ages, and its community outreach program DANCEOUT! provides equitable arts opportunities to historically underserved communities, including weekly classes in the Bayview District and the annual Children’s Day at the SF War Memorial Opera House at no cost to 6,200 Bay Area students and families.
Lead Ballet Instructor Marianna Lobanova has over 23 years of experience teaching classical dance, is a graduate of the Pedagogical Department of the Vaganova Russian Ballet Academy, danced for more than 17 years at the Lviv Opera and Ballet Theatre, previously taught at the Kirov Academy in Washington, DC and City Ballet in San Francisco, received the “For Achievements in the Sphere of Culture” Order from The Russian Federation Ministry of Culture in 2000, and was awarded the YAGP Outstanding Teacher Award in 2019. Strength & Conditioning Coach LeVander Brown is a former college/pro athlete, a head trainer at BayAreaProfessionals, joined Presidio Dance Theatre as a Youth Company dancer through DANCEOUT! at Bret Harte Elementary in the Bayview, remained on full scholarship with the organization, received a full football scholarship to San Jose State University, became the first in his family to graduate from a university, and also performs with the Company. Lead Outreach Instructor Deja Hill was born and raised in San Francisco, has studied ballet, modern, lyrical, jazz, and mixed-culture styles since age four, later focused on ballet and modern/contemporary, has attended multiple prestigious training programs, was recognized as a California Arts Scholar while attending San Jose State University, began teaching ballet in 2017, has been with Presidio Dance Theatre since 2022, and is also a Company member. Guest Ballet Instructor Traci Finch holds a BA in Dance from Brigham Young University, has performed in New York City with The Suzanne Farrell Ballet, Les Grands Ballets Canadiens, New Chamber Ballet, and CelloPointe, has presented choreography at The Secret Theater, LeFrak Concert Hall, and South Oxford Space, is Co-Director of Mannakin Dance Theater, has been with Presidio Dance Theatre since 2019, and also performs with the Company. Guest Ballet Instructor Brandon Alexander trained with Lori Amare and Houston Ballet’s Ben Stevenson Academy, has danced with the Joffrey Ballet of Chicago, Rochester City Ballet, Teater Vanemuine Ballet in Estonia, and Ballet Hagen in Germany, has performed works by choreographers including Cayetano Soto, Itzik Galili, Riccardo De Nigris, Sir Frederick Ashton, Sir Kenneth MacMillan, Giorgio Madia, Jamey Leverett, and Silas Stubbs, is currently a dancer with Smuin Ballet, and has been with Presidio Dance Theatre since 2021.
Presidio Dance Theatre and the Presidio Performing Arts Foundation have been recognized as winners of the U.S. State Department's award for excellence in cultural diplomacy and dance. In partnership with SFUSD and the YMCA, more than 280,000 Bay Area students and families have participated in Presidio Performing Arts Foundation programming. Isabelle Durant, Vice-President of the European Parliament, states that she values the unique quality of Presidio Dance Theatre’s artistic and cultural training, with an emphasis on inspiring the next generation of compassionate global citizens.
Last updated March 17, 2026.
• Ages: 5–18 years old
Under the leadership of Sherene Melania and the Presidio Performing Arts Foundation, Presidio Dance Theatre has a twenty-six year history of advancing justice through dance, and the youth program is performance based with local, national, and international performance opportunities, including official San Francisco Sister City Exchanges and UNESCO's International Dance Council's global festivals. The curriculum exceeds the state of California’s arts education metrics and is offered in a body-positive, gender and sexuality inclusive context, and the organization is currently only accepting new students for Intermediate/Advanced classes. The program is part of a female led organization whose New Works Series focuses on stories of women’s empowerment and examining gender roles throughout the ages, and its community outreach program DANCEOUT! provides equitable arts opportunities to historically underserved communities, including weekly classes in the Bayview District and the annual Children’s Day at the SF War Memorial Opera House at no cost to 6,200 Bay Area students and families.
Lead Ballet Instructor Marianna Lobanova has over 23 years of experience teaching classical dance, is a graduate of the Pedagogical Department of the Vaganova Russian Ballet Academy, danced for more than 17 years at the Lviv Opera and Ballet Theatre, previously taught at the Kirov Academy in Washington, DC and City Ballet in San Francisco, received the “For Achievements in the Sphere of Culture” Order from The Russian Federation Ministry of Culture in 2000, and was awarded the YAGP Outstanding Teacher Award in 2019. Strength & Conditioning Coach LeVander Brown is a former college/pro athlete, a head trainer at BayAreaProfessionals, joined Presidio Dance Theatre as a Youth Company dancer through DANCEOUT! at Bret Harte Elementary in the Bayview, remained on full scholarship with the organization, received a full football scholarship to San Jose State University, became the first in his family to graduate from a university, and also performs with the Company. Lead Outreach Instructor Deja Hill was born and raised in San Francisco, has studied ballet, modern, lyrical, jazz, and mixed-culture styles since age four, later focused on ballet and modern/contemporary, has attended multiple prestigious training programs, was recognized as a California Arts Scholar while attending San Jose State University, began teaching ballet in 2017, has been with Presidio Dance Theatre since 2022, and is also a Company member. Guest Ballet Instructor Traci Finch holds a BA in Dance from Brigham Young University, has performed in New York City with The Suzanne Farrell Ballet, Les Grands Ballets Canadiens, New Chamber Ballet, and CelloPointe, has presented choreography at The Secret Theater, LeFrak Concert Hall, and South Oxford Space, is Co-Director of Mannakin Dance Theater, has been with Presidio Dance Theatre since 2019, and also performs with the Company. Guest Ballet Instructor Brandon Alexander trained with Lori Amare and Houston Ballet’s Ben Stevenson Academy, has danced with the Joffrey Ballet of Chicago, Rochester City Ballet, Teater Vanemuine Ballet in Estonia, and Ballet Hagen in Germany, has performed works by choreographers including Cayetano Soto, Itzik Galili, Riccardo De Nigris, Sir Frederick Ashton, Sir Kenneth MacMillan, Giorgio Madia, Jamey Leverett, and Silas Stubbs, is currently a dancer with Smuin Ballet, and has been with Presidio Dance Theatre since 2021.
Presidio Dance Theatre and the Presidio Performing Arts Foundation have been recognized as winners of the U.S. State Department's award for excellence in cultural diplomacy and dance. In partnership with SFUSD and the YMCA, more than 280,000 Bay Area students and families have participated in Presidio Performing Arts Foundation programming. Isabelle Durant, Vice-President of the European Parliament, states that she values the unique quality of Presidio Dance Theatre’s artistic and cultural training, with an emphasis on inspiring the next generation of compassionate global citizens.
Last updated March 17, 2026.
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