Children’s Ballet of San Antonio is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing San Antonio’s most talented young artists with professional-level performance opportunities while making high-quality productions accessible to the community.
Under the direction of Vanessa Bessler, San Antonio’s most awarded Artistic Director, CBSA artists receive coaching in classical ballet and musical theatre repertoire from world-renowned masters, professional artists, and choreographers.
Each year, CBSA presents major ballet and musical theatre productions, including The Children’s Nutcracker, The Polar Express, a spring classical ballet, and a spring musical theatre production. Repertoire rotates annually to expose young performers to a wide range of roles, styles, and artistic demands, from classics such as Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty, and Don Quixote to contemporary musical theatre favorites.
CBSA productions are open to young artists throughout the community by open auditions, giving dancers the opportunity to perform on some of San Antonio’s most iconic stages, including the Lila Cockrell Theatre and the Majestic Theatre.
CBSA also offers the CBSA2 Trainee Program, a selective post-secondary vocational program for dancers preparing to transition into professional careers. Trainees receive intensive coaching, understudy principal roles, perform in professional productions, and prepare for company auditions, traineeships, and elite collegiate dance programs. Our graduated dancers have received offers to Disney, Ballet Austin Butler fellowship, Dutch National Ballet, Kansas City Ballet, Tulsa Ballet, Milwaukee Ballet, Bolshoi international traineeship, Nashville ballet, Oklahoma City ballet, English National ballet, Sarasota ballet and Colorado Ballet trainee program among others.
In addition many of our high schoolers have won nominations and scholarships at the Joci awards through the years.
Beyond the stage, CBSA alumni have gone on to become exceptional collegiate performers, working artists, and successful professionals in fields including law, medicine, business, engineering, and the arts. CBSA artists are trained to pursue dance at the highest levels around the world while developing the discipline, confidence, resilience, and leadership skills to excel in any path they choose.
CBSA’s Community Outreach Program works to reduce barriers to arts access and inspire a love for the performing arts throughout San Antonio. Outreach initiatives include inclusive audition and performance opportunities for children with support needs, dedicated training opportunities for male dancers, complimentary tickets and transportation support for Title I schools and youth and family service organizations, and on-site performances for local nonprofits, schools, and cultural institutions.
CBSA prepares young artists to represent San Antonio on prestigious national and international stages while nurturing discipline, resilience, confidence, and collaboration. Audiences experience the athleticism and artistry of these young performers while supporting a vibrant local arts community.
Through its productions, programs, and outreach initiatives, CBSA demonstrates its resolute belief in and commitment to ensuring that the arts are accessible to everyone in Bexar County without barriers.
For more information, please visit their website.
