New World Ballet

New World Ballet offers classes in Creative Movement, Pre-Ballet, Beginning Ballet, Level 1/2 Ballet, Level 3/4 Ballet, Pointe / Pre-Pointe, Adult Beginning Ballet, Multi-Level Ballet, and Multi-Level Urban Contemporary Ballet. The program also includes Strength & Stretch, Hip Hop & Breakdance, Multi-Level Hip Hop, Latin Dance Cardio, Ballet, Contemporary, and Hip Hop & Movement for toddlers and children. Students take part in performances such as The Duke Ellington Nutcracker, Sleeping Beauty (acts), Nutcracker (second act), Hansel & Gretel (full-length), Cinderella (modernized version), Swan Lake (acts), Don Quixote (excerpts), Paquita (excerpts), Coppellia (full-length), Midsummer Night’s Dream, Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra, the Spring Showcase, and Humboldt Dance Festivals.

• Ages: 3–18 years old
• Schedule: Students in Creative Movement should be able to dance independently without parent assistance for 30 minutes with breaks; students in Pre-Ballet engage in 30 minutes of continuous instruction; dancers in Beginning Ballet receive 60 minutes of continuous instruction.

New World Ballet is a non-profit organization whose mission is to provide access to professional quality dance instruction and performance opportunities through dance. The organization offers an innovative program of all levels of classical and contemporary ballet, hip hop, and creative movement for younger dancers, and it celebrates diversity through dance. New World Ballet is dedicated to providing serious and enriched dance education for students who desire to become professional dancers, as well as those who wish to enhance their quality of life through dance.

New World Ballet was originally founded in Arcata, California in 1994. In 2005, founder and former Chicago Opera Ballet dancer Nadine Cole retired, and Victor Temple assumed the position of Artistic Director. Victor Temple serves as Artistic Director, Dance School Director, and director and instructor at the Santa Rosa dance studio, and he has been Instructor and Artistic Director of New World Ballet since 2005.

Victor Temple is a former dancer with the Dance Theatre of Harlem, Central Ballet of China, Shanghai Ballet, Oakland Ballet, and Liaison of Western Dance Styles to China’s Chinese Dancers’ Association. He is an internationally known dancer, choreographer, and teacher, and he enjoys teaching about hip hop culture and introducing new dancers to hip hop and breakdancing. Victor Temple is the winner of the Spirit of Sonoma Award and was named one of the “22 People to Watch in 2022” by the Press Democrat.

New World Ballet offers performances to the local Sonoma County area and beyond and hosted the First & Second Annual Humboldt Dance Festivals, which featured dance instructors and musicians of the African Diaspora, including Afro-Cuban, Congolese, Samba / Afro-Brazilian, and West African, as well as classical ballet, contemporary ballet, pointe, and hip-hop workshops. New World Ballet has trained dancers who have gone on to experience professional dance opportunities such as interning for the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and dancing professionally for companies including San Francisco Ballet, City Ballet of San Diego, and the Utah Ballet Company.

The program is the home of The Duke Ellington Nutcracker. Class placement is based on skill, not age, and is at the discretion of the artistic director for Level 1/2 Ballet, Level 3/4 Ballet, and Pointe / Pre-Pointe, and a free placement class is available for students who have studied previously. Students of Level 1/2 Ballet are expected to take a minimum of 3 classes per week, and students of Level 3/4 Ballet are expected to take a minimum of 5 classes per week, with Level 3/4 Ballet classes open to adults with prior approval. Adult Beginning Ballet welcomes absolute beginners and adjusts class difficulty for the level of students attending, and Multi-Level Ballet also adjusts difficulty for the level of students attending. Multi-Level Urban Contemporary Ballet uses the foundations of classical ballet technique and incorporates elements of modern dance. Multi-Level Hip Hop is engaging and fun for the whole family and welcomes dancers age 3 years to adults, and Latin Dance Cardio is a cardio workout class to music of salsa, merengue, bachata, and reggaeton, with families welcome to attend together.

Students in Creative Movement should be able to dance independently without parent assistance for 30 minutes with breaks. Payment options include cash, checks, and Venmo, with checks payable to New World Ballet and Venmo payments sent to @Victor-Temple-2.

Last updated March 28, 2026.