We believe that dance is an art form with the capacity to enliven beauty in others.

Ballet America was founded by Julia Ball-Dugan in 2003 to be the performing arm of the Academy of American Ballet in Redwood City. 

Ballet America is a non-profit company whose mission is to create quality dance productions that appeal to families.  In addition to the Nutcracker, which features local professional talent and is performed annually at Redwood City's historic Art Deco Fox Theatre, Ballet America has performed much loved children's works including Hansel and Gretel and Peter and the Wolf as well as original full-length productions. These productions help to educate students about professional theater standards while creating a strong and vibrant artistic community.   They are traditions and experiences that last a lifetime.

Julia Ball-Dugan began studying ballet with the Sacramento Ballet under the directorship of Barbara Crockett.  Her training also included study with the Boston Ballet, Pacific Northwest Ballet, and scholarship study with the San Francisco Ballet.  After graduating from high school, Julia began dancing professionally with the American Festival Ballet.  While dancing with the Eugene Ballet and Tulsa Ballet Theatre, Julia toured throughout 45 of the continental United States and performed overseas in Taiwan.  After dancing professionally for five years, she began her university studies and graduated from Stanford University with a BA in Economics and an MA in Dance Education.  As a student at Stanford, Julia founded Stanford's first ballet company, the Cardinal Ballet.  She has directed the Nutcracker for ten years.  Julia opened the Academy of American Ballet (official school of Ballet America) in Redwood City in the fall of 1999.