About
Ballet San Jose School offers ballet and dance classes for children, teens, and adults of all backgrounds, body types, and experience levels. The program includes ballet classes for children and teens, adult ballet classes, beginner adult ballet classes, and intermediate/advanced ballet classes. Students take part in Spring dance performances, a full length ballet production in the Spring, and The Nutcracker ballet performance, and all students have the opportunity to be part of shows.
• Ages: 3–18 years old
• Schedule: Registration is open year-round, and students can join at any time during the year.
Founded in 2013 as Bay Ballet Academy and later rebranded to Ballet San Jose School, the school focuses on classical ballet technique for students of all ages, sizes, and skill levels. The program emphasizes development of strong classical ballet technique with attention to body posture and feet placement, increasing physical strength and flexibility, and promotion of artistry and music appreciation. Girls and boys are placed in one of five levels according to age, experience, and ability, and classes are designed to increase technique, stamina, and artistry according to students’ age and physical maturity. Children under 17 years old can try a class for free, and adult and teen students are able to perform in shows. Students experience live theater and interact with costumes, props, and sets in a real setting, and the performances serve as a transition from dance student to professional performer.
Ballet San Jose School is led by Maximo Califano, the Founder, Director, and Principal Dance Teacher. Maximo Califano is an American Ballet Theatre Certified Teacher, holds a degree in Creative Arts from San Jose State University, and graduated from the Superior Institute of Art at the Colón Theater in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He has over 30 years of experience in both dancing and teaching and had a 15-year career as a Principal Dancer with Ballet San Jose. The school states that its mission is to transform passionate students into technically proficient, artistically expressive, and adaptable dancers who can thrive in both classical and contemporary dance environments, and to foster discipline, confidence, creativity, and a deep love for the art of dance. The school describes itself as a premier ballet school and dance studio that offers a supportive and inspiring environment, a personalized approach with detailed corrections and guidance, and high professional standards.
The dance studio is equipped with sprung Marley floors, wooden barres, large mirrors, and a sound system, and the new location features larger floors, new barres, and bigger mirrors. The school notes that it aims to become a leading dance school and cultural hub for the San Jose community and beyond, and that it is located in a vibrant shopping area with many amenities, including restaurants, coffee shops, beauty salons, medical spaces, and fun activities for kids. The shopping mall area offers plenty of parking spaces in the mall’s parking lot.
For adult beginner classes, the school allows clothing that is comfortable to move in, with ballet shoes optional. For intermediate/advanced classes, attire includes leotards and tights, t-shirts, and/or leggings, with hair pulled away from the face, and ballet shoes must be worn in dance classes. Students who wish to wear pointe shoes may do so at their own risk in intermediate/advanced classes, at the discretion of the teacher.
Last updated May 22, 2026.
• Ages: 3–18 years old
• Schedule: Registration is open year-round, and students can join at any time during the year.
Founded in 2013 as Bay Ballet Academy and later rebranded to Ballet San Jose School, the school focuses on classical ballet technique for students of all ages, sizes, and skill levels. The program emphasizes development of strong classical ballet technique with attention to body posture and feet placement, increasing physical strength and flexibility, and promotion of artistry and music appreciation. Girls and boys are placed in one of five levels according to age, experience, and ability, and classes are designed to increase technique, stamina, and artistry according to students’ age and physical maturity. Children under 17 years old can try a class for free, and adult and teen students are able to perform in shows. Students experience live theater and interact with costumes, props, and sets in a real setting, and the performances serve as a transition from dance student to professional performer.
Ballet San Jose School is led by Maximo Califano, the Founder, Director, and Principal Dance Teacher. Maximo Califano is an American Ballet Theatre Certified Teacher, holds a degree in Creative Arts from San Jose State University, and graduated from the Superior Institute of Art at the Colón Theater in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He has over 30 years of experience in both dancing and teaching and had a 15-year career as a Principal Dancer with Ballet San Jose. The school states that its mission is to transform passionate students into technically proficient, artistically expressive, and adaptable dancers who can thrive in both classical and contemporary dance environments, and to foster discipline, confidence, creativity, and a deep love for the art of dance. The school describes itself as a premier ballet school and dance studio that offers a supportive and inspiring environment, a personalized approach with detailed corrections and guidance, and high professional standards.
The dance studio is equipped with sprung Marley floors, wooden barres, large mirrors, and a sound system, and the new location features larger floors, new barres, and bigger mirrors. The school notes that it aims to become a leading dance school and cultural hub for the San Jose community and beyond, and that it is located in a vibrant shopping area with many amenities, including restaurants, coffee shops, beauty salons, medical spaces, and fun activities for kids. The shopping mall area offers plenty of parking spaces in the mall’s parking lot.
For adult beginner classes, the school allows clothing that is comfortable to move in, with ballet shoes optional. For intermediate/advanced classes, attire includes leotards and tights, t-shirts, and/or leggings, with hair pulled away from the face, and ballet shoes must be worn in dance classes. Students who wish to wear pointe shoes may do so at their own risk in intermediate/advanced classes, at the discretion of the teacher.
Last updated May 22, 2026.
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