Sonoma Conservatory of Dance

Our Mission & Vision

Sonoma Conservatory of Dance’s mission is to nurture the creative spirit of our community through dance. We at SCD envision a world filled with inspired and inspiring people, developing and using their talents for good.

Our Story:

Originally Founded as Sonoma Ballet Conservatory in 1970, Patty O’Reilly reenvisioned the studio as Sonoma Conservatory of Dance in 2005 after 12 years of directing the Vallejo Ballet Conservatory, which she had founded in 1993. Under the Artistic Direction of Ms. O’Reilly, SCD continues to offer the very highest quality classical ballet and dance instruction to youth and adults.

In 2016, Sonoma Conservatory of Dance transitioned into a public benefit corporation to better serve the community of Sonoma and to more effectively fulfill its mission of providing the youth (and adults) of Sonoma Valley and beyond an opportunity to grow artistically and technically through participation in our classes and productions.

As a nonprofit, we are able to serve as many students as possible regardless of financial circumstances. Our students grow as they train together under the mentorship of an excellent artistic staff who create an outstanding classroom environment as well as high-quality performances that we share with the public, thereby enhancing each student’s sense of self-mastery.

We expose students and audiences to a mix of culture through music, and dance and our full-length productions offer a blend of classical ballet with other cultural themes. Through our performances, we provide the community with an opportunity to gather together and enjoy an inspiring, enchanting event.

The studio’s students have been accepted into the most prestigious dance programs both locally, nationally and internationally, including: American Ballet Theatre, Joffrey Ballet, Kaatsbaan Extreme Ballet, and Royal Ballet School of Antwerp.

Other Notable Programs Include:

Boston BalletLINES Ballet, Colorado Ballet, North Carolina Dance Theatre, Orlando Ballet, Ballet West, Nutmeg Conservatory of the Arts, The Gelsey Kirkland Academy of Dance, Marymount Manhattan College Dance Department, and The Royal Ballet School of London.

To date, SCD students have competed in the Genée International Ballet Competition, Youth America Grand Prix and the RAD Dance Challenge.