New dance company Peninsula Ballet Arts forms out of now-closed Peninsula Lively Arts

Now, Greg and Nina Amato are using the space for the next year to build Peninsula Ballet Arts and tap into the existing community before they have to move to a permanent spot. 

“For us to cease operations without a plan and for all those cultural organizations and anyone who was associated with that building to stop was going to be devastating for the dance community,” said Greg Amato, co-founder and artistic director at Peninsula Ballet Arts. “It’s not just a school. It’s about the environment of dance in general.”

The studio offers similar classes as Peninsula Lively Arts did, such as ballet, jazz and musical theater, though they plan to offer more options for a larger student base.

“We have added some classes to offer a broader range,” said Lena Alvino, school director at Peninsula Ballet Arts. “We have an absolute beginner ballet class which PLA never had.”

The company also plans to put on performances, which are seen as a testament to how traditional dance companies adapt and evolve during a period where arts organizations face funding cuts and fewer audience members. Popular shows, like The Nutcracker, will likely return, though they’ll also branch out from previous performances as well. 

“Nutcracker sales would keep you afloat for six months, but that's changing,” Amato said. “Ballet companies have had to reshape who they are and remarket themselves to adapt to an ever-changing environment.”

Practitioners of older art forms, like ballet or opera, have only been able to succeed if they can successfully adapt to younger audiences and make 100- to 200-year-old performances relatable. 

“Shakespearean dramas, for example, have the same words, but they've just changed the setting. They’re wearing street clothes like we would wear today but still speaking Shakespeare’s words,” Nina Amato said. “Ballet companies are doing the same – presenting classics in a way that's more accessible.”

The new dance company just started offering classes in July and already has about 200 students. 

“We want to get people back into the theaters, and in order to do that, you have to try and bring new and exciting ideas,” Greg Amato said. “If you put on a great show, people will come and tell their friends.”