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 offer 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, and leadership opportunities in a body-positive, gender and sexuality inclusive context. PDT is a performance based youth program, and its curriculum exceeds the state of California’s arts education metrics.
• Ages: 5–18 years old
Under the leadership of Sherene Melania and the Presidio Performing Arts Foundation (PPAF), Presidio Dance Theatre has a twenty-six year history of advancing justice through dance. PPAF’s performance company, Presidio Dance Theatre (PDT), highlights native artists and those from underrepresented cultures, and as a female led organization, PDT’s New Works Series focuses on stories of women’s empowerment and examining gender roles throughout the ages. PPAF’s community outreach program, DANCEOUT!, provides equitable arts opportunities to historically underserved communities, including weekly classes in the Bayview District in partnership with the YMCA and an annual Children’s Day at the SF War Memorial Opera House at no cost to 6,200 Bay Area students and families. PDT provides local, national, and international performance opportunities, including official San Francisco Sister City Exchanges and participation in UNESCO’s International Dance Council global festivals, and is currently only accepting new students for Intermediate/Advanced classes.
The teaching staff includes Lead Ballet Instructor Marianna Lobanova, who has over 23 years of experience teaching classical dance, graduated in 1980 from the Pedagogical Department of the Vaganova Russian Ballet Academy, danced for more than 17 years at the Lviv Opera and Ballet Theatre in Ukraine, previously taught at the Kirov Academy in Washington, DC and City Ballet in San Francisco, was awarded the “For Achievements in the Sphere of Culture” Order by The Russian Federation Ministry of Culture in 2000, received the YAGP Outstanding Teacher Award in 2019, and has been with PDT since 2022. Strength & Conditioning Coach LeVander Brown has been with PDT since 2005, joined as a Youth Company dancer through participation in DANCEOUT! at Bret Harte Elementary in the Bayview, remained on full scholarship with PDT, received a full scholarship for football at San Jose State University, became the first in his family to graduate from a university, is a former college/pro athlete, is head trainer at BayAreaProfessionals, and also performs with the Company. Lead Outreach Instructor Deja Hill was born and raised in San Francisco, has studied ballet, modern, lyrical, jazz, 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 PDT since 2022, and is also a member of the Company. Guest Ballet Instructor Traci Finch is originally from Utah, holds a BA in Dance from Brigham Young University, has performed in New York City with The Suzanne Farrell Ballet, Les Grands Ballet Canadiens, New Chamber Ballet, and CelloPointe, has presented choreography in NYC at The Secret Theater, LeFrak Concert Hall in Queens, and South Oxford Space in Brooklyn, is Co-Director of Mannakin Dance Theater, has been with PDT since 2019, and also performs with the Company. Guest Ballet Instructor Brandon Alexander is originally from Houston, Texas, 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 danced works by Cayetano Soto, Itzik Galili, Riccardo De Nigris, Sir Frederick Ashton, Sir Kenneth MacMillan, Giorgio Madia, Jamey Leverett, and Silas Stubbs among others, is currently a dancer with Smuin Ballet, and has been with PDT since 2021.
PPAF and PDT have received recognition including the U.S. State Department’s award for excellence in cultural diplomacy and dance, and Marianna Lobanova’s awards from The Russian Federation Ministry of Culture and Youth America Grand Prix. Their students participate in community service as part of classes. Isabelle Durant, Vice-President of the European Parliament, has stated, “We value 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 June 15, 2026.
• Ages: 5–18 years old
Under the leadership of Sherene Melania and the Presidio Performing Arts Foundation (PPAF), Presidio Dance Theatre has a twenty-six year history of advancing justice through dance. PPAF’s performance company, Presidio Dance Theatre (PDT), highlights native artists and those from underrepresented cultures, and as a female led organization, PDT’s New Works Series focuses on stories of women’s empowerment and examining gender roles throughout the ages. PPAF’s community outreach program, DANCEOUT!, provides equitable arts opportunities to historically underserved communities, including weekly classes in the Bayview District in partnership with the YMCA and an annual Children’s Day at the SF War Memorial Opera House at no cost to 6,200 Bay Area students and families. PDT provides local, national, and international performance opportunities, including official San Francisco Sister City Exchanges and participation in UNESCO’s International Dance Council global festivals, and is currently only accepting new students for Intermediate/Advanced classes.
The teaching staff includes Lead Ballet Instructor Marianna Lobanova, who has over 23 years of experience teaching classical dance, graduated in 1980 from the Pedagogical Department of the Vaganova Russian Ballet Academy, danced for more than 17 years at the Lviv Opera and Ballet Theatre in Ukraine, previously taught at the Kirov Academy in Washington, DC and City Ballet in San Francisco, was awarded the “For Achievements in the Sphere of Culture” Order by The Russian Federation Ministry of Culture in 2000, received the YAGP Outstanding Teacher Award in 2019, and has been with PDT since 2022. Strength & Conditioning Coach LeVander Brown has been with PDT since 2005, joined as a Youth Company dancer through participation in DANCEOUT! at Bret Harte Elementary in the Bayview, remained on full scholarship with PDT, received a full scholarship for football at San Jose State University, became the first in his family to graduate from a university, is a former college/pro athlete, is head trainer at BayAreaProfessionals, and also performs with the Company. Lead Outreach Instructor Deja Hill was born and raised in San Francisco, has studied ballet, modern, lyrical, jazz, 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 PDT since 2022, and is also a member of the Company. Guest Ballet Instructor Traci Finch is originally from Utah, holds a BA in Dance from Brigham Young University, has performed in New York City with The Suzanne Farrell Ballet, Les Grands Ballet Canadiens, New Chamber Ballet, and CelloPointe, has presented choreography in NYC at The Secret Theater, LeFrak Concert Hall in Queens, and South Oxford Space in Brooklyn, is Co-Director of Mannakin Dance Theater, has been with PDT since 2019, and also performs with the Company. Guest Ballet Instructor Brandon Alexander is originally from Houston, Texas, 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 danced works by Cayetano Soto, Itzik Galili, Riccardo De Nigris, Sir Frederick Ashton, Sir Kenneth MacMillan, Giorgio Madia, Jamey Leverett, and Silas Stubbs among others, is currently a dancer with Smuin Ballet, and has been with PDT since 2021.
PPAF and PDT have received recognition including the U.S. State Department’s award for excellence in cultural diplomacy and dance, and Marianna Lobanova’s awards from The Russian Federation Ministry of Culture and Youth America Grand Prix. Their students participate in community service as part of classes. Isabelle Durant, Vice-President of the European Parliament, has stated, “We value 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 June 15, 2026.
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