North Coast Ballet California

North Coast Ballet California (formerly Petaluma City Ballet) incorporated in 1981 under Mary Paula, owner of Petaluma School of Ballet to provide performance opportunities for Petaluma’s young dancers who trained at Petaluma School of Ballet.  Ann Derby became Artistic Director in 1985 and Zoura O’Neill Co-Artistic Director in 1987.  NCBC has produced quality dance productions for 44 years as well as 39 years of an annual full-length Nutcracker in collaboration with Petaluma School of Ballet.

North Coast Ballet California is a non-profit organization that gives dancers and choreographers an opportunity to express their talents and to cultivate ballet excellence within the Sonoma County community.

North Coast Ballet California has been a member of The Ballet Alliance, a national organization of ballet companies for 39 years and has performed in 38 of the annual TBA Festivals throughout the United States and Canada.

Many NCBC dancers have received scholarships through TBA to Ballet West, SAB, The Rock School, San Francisco, Houston, Colorado, Boston, Milwaukee and Pacific Northwest Ballet schools, and CPYB.  A number of alumni have gone on to dance professionally with Mark Morris Dance Group, Ballet Met, Peninsula Dance Theatre and San Diego City Ballet companies, as well as Nevada Ballet Theatre, Central West Ballet and the national touring company of Dear Evan Hansen.

The company’s repertoire includes the ballets Coppelia, Peter & The Wolf, Snow White, Graduation Ball, Tales of Beatrix Potter, Sorcerer’s Apprentice, Hansel and Gretel, a narrated Alice in Wonderland and Ballet de Seuss.  Pre-Covid our Once Upon a Ballet Series reached 2,000 school children annually.  In 2025 NCBC’s Once Upon a Ballet Series was able to return to our county’s schools with a new ballet – Ballet de Seuss and the Nutcracker.