Congratulations to Ron Guidi for bringing the Oakland Ballet to life AGAIN

Oakland Ballet To Reopen This Weekend
Went Belly Up In 2006
KGO By Don Sanchez

OAKLAND, Calif., Oct. 16, 2007 (KGO) - The Oakland Ballet opens a new season this weekend at the Paramount Theatre.

It's remarkable news since the ballet went belly up in 2006.

The new life comes, ironically, via the man who started it 40 years ago.

Fluid moves as bodies intertwine during a rehearsal for Saturday's inaugural performance of the new Oakland Ballet.

Ronn Guidi has come out of retirement and is now guiding the ballet.

"I felt the repertoire was too brilliant. These masterpieces could be lost," said Ronn Guidi, Oakland Ballet director. "When you go into the artistic world you go into the abyss. You need to know where the next step is going to take you. So I made the decision."

Guidi brought back the ballet for three primary reasons.

"Passion. Madness. Love."

Principal dancers David Bertlin and Denise Roman Scmalle are bringing a work of art to life.

Guidi started the Oakland ballet in 1961, and served as its artistic director for more than 35 years.

When he brought back a production of the Nutcracker last year, he knew he had to resurrect the ballet.

The old Oakland Ballet ran out of money, though Guidi says that isn't going to happen this time.

"The Paramount is very expensive. To do two shows that is about $120,000. So we know what ticket sales will be. It won't be $120,000, right? So what we did ahead of time is we fund raised. To raise the money to pay for what we'd lose. So we'll break even," said Guidi.

Major East Bay corporations and foundations are sponsors. Their logos will be everywhere. and there is motivation.

"When the arts die in the city, the culture dies. It implodes on itself," said Guidi.

The Oakland Ballet has been reborn, and now it's up to the people of Oakland and others to support what is certainly a cultural treasure.

Copyright 2007, ABC7/KGO-TV/DT.
Don Sanchez

ABC7 News Team

Don Sanchez, Arts and Entertainment Reporter