About The Ronn Guidi Foundation

The Ronn Guidi Foundation for the Performing Arts was formed in 2001 for the purpose of continuing Mr. Ronn Guidi’s role in the Bay Area ballet community and establishing a means by which his artistic legacy could be preserved for future generations. The Foundation believes that contemporary urban culture thrives when training, performance, and research opportunities abound for all youth who have an interest in the performing arts, just as society continues to grow with the development of new works to excite and explore the human soul. Our mission is to offer training and performance opportunities for young dancers in both classical and new works, and to preserve and present historically significant ballets.

The Foundation is dedicated to:

• The operation of a pre-professional performing company for young dancers under the tutelage of a nurturing and professional ballet staff
• The recognition of talented young dancers through scholarships
• The encouragement of reconstructions of dance masterpieces
• The preservation and presentation of Ballet Russe era works

The Oakland Ballet Youth Company, formerly the Western Festival Ballet, is a youth company comprised of unpaid pre-professional dancers supplemented by paid professional dancers in lead roles. The Foundation promotes this endeavor through a nurturing and professional ballet staff led by Mr. Ronn Guidi. Eventually the Oakland Ballet Youth Company will feature talented young dancers from age 8 to 18; however, auditions are currently open to all students in the community between the ages of 14 and 18. Information about specific Oakland Ballet Youth Company auditions is distributed to the directors of ballet academies in the greater Bay Area, and students outside of the Oakland Ballet Academy are encouraged to continue their training with their current schools. The Oakland Ballet Youth Company thus serves as an extracurricular rehearsal and performance opportunity that will provide a unique experience to those students seeking a professional career in the performing arts or endeavoring to test the limits of their dancing ability in a supportive and creative environment.

Scholarship Programs

The Foundation will award full and partial scholarships to assist especially promising young women and men to obtain advanced training and private tutelage. Scholarships will be provided solely on the basis of artistic talent and awarded without regard to the dancers’ race, nationality, gender, religion, or sexual orientation.

Preserving the Ballet Russe Tradition

The Ronn Guidi Foundation for the Performing Arts intends to help preserve the Ballet Russe era works of art and other dance masterpieces by:

• Encouraging and underwriting presentations of these ballets by The Oakland Ballet Youth Company
• Training a select group of dancers in the Ballet Russe repertoire
• Establishing a library collection of videotapes and related material for research and education of future generations

Board Members of The Ronn Guidi Foundation

The Ronn Guidi Foundation for the Performing Arts is a 501(c3) organization,
federal tax ID #94-3395450

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