2017 SSB Nutcracker Guest Dancer Francois Llorente
Many Santa Barbara businesses were hurt by the Thomas Fire as thousands of residents were evacuated and everyone else was encouraged to stay indoors out of the smoke and ash. State Street Ballet was especially hard hit, forfeiting up to $100,000 in ticket sales because they were forced to cancel 2 of their shows at the Granada on Saturday Dec. 16th, when winds howled and the fire came closest to threatening the downtown. This loss will affect the remainder of their season next spring and they have put out a call for donations to help defray costs. The passage of the new tax bill presents an opportunity for extra giving at the end of this year as it will impact deductions for charitable contributions next year and going forward. So, if anyone has it in their hearts to help State Street Ballet next spring, now is the time for the wonderful people of Santa Barbara and anyone who cares about our only professional ballet company to give a little extra. With somewhat improved air quality on Sunday, they were able to give their last performance to a very appreciative audience. Donate here: http://www.statestreetballet.com/support/donate-today
Some excerpts from last year’s show at the Granada
