South Bay Ballet, a non-profit organization formed in 1987, provides quality artistic performances to the community as well as outstanding training to young and pre-professional dancers. Under the guidance of Artistic Director, Diane Lauridsen, and Assistant Artistic Director, Elijah S. Pressman, our mission is to be Southern California’s leading pre- professional ballet company providing the finest in training to our youth as well as performances that inspire and enrich the community. We are providing a curriculum that has its foundation in traditional classical techniques enhanced by thirty years of experience incorporating cutting edge anatomical and kinesthetic principles. Our dancers experience a real company atmosphere and performance opportunities that mirror the professional world. Our proven success in consistently placing dancers in professional contracts has earned us the respect of the international ballet community. Our training instills self discipline, teamwork, perseverance, respect, self confidence and dedication to excellence. These values will help our students to succeed in all their future endeavors. At South Bay Ballet, our performances enrich and inspire the community encouraging a life long love of the Arts.

South Bay Ballet continues to present Southern California audiences with
a professional level artistic experience. Each year South Bay Ballet offers
an eclectic range of ballets, from classical to contemporary. In addition to The Nutcracker, our 2011-2012 Season includes both Bravo! A Classical & Contemporary Ballet Experience and Storybook Ballet, featuring Cinderella, at the James Armstrong Theatre. Currently, former SBB dancers can be found dancing with Alabama Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, Ballet Austin, Boston Ballet, Cincinnati Ballet, Het National Ballet of Amsterdam, Houston Ballet, Kenneth Walker Dance Project, Los Angeles Ballet, Oklahoma Ballet, Oregon Ballet Theatre, Sacramento Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, Sarasota Ballet, and Tokyo Ballet.
Dancers at South Bay Ballet train exclusively at Lauridsen Ballet Centre in Torrance. Nationally recognized for its integrity, strict guidelines and the highest quality training, Lauridsen Ballet Centre provides pre-professional students a home for celebrating the art of dance. Our faculty is dedicated to nurturing, developing, and guiding young dancers through the world of ballet in a professional, caring and healthy environment. Students travel from around the world to study the unique curriculum which unites the traditions of the past with state of the art knowledge of anatomy, kinesiology and cross training. These young dancers are privileged to study in a professional atmosphere with live piano accompaniment, as well as, guest teachers from world-renowned ballet companies. We are proud of our dancers who compete successfully, nationally and internationally, in an extremely competitive professional field.