Los Gatos Ballet

09/09/2026

✨ The magic is coming back! ✨

A little look back at The Nutcracker rehearsals from last season… and we can’t wait to do it all again! 🩰🎄
Rehearsals are about to begin, and the studio is getting ready for another season of dancing, dreaming, and Nutcracker magic. ❤️
Let the magic begin! ✨

09/07/2026

We’re excited to welcome Lila Salhov to our AM teaching staff!

Join Lila on Tuesdays for a Beginning–Mixed Level Ballet class filled with thoughtful instruction, beautiful combinations, and genuine warmth.

Tuesdays | 10:00–11:30 AM

Can’t make mornings? Catch Lila Mondays & Wednesdays at 7:00 PM! ✨
Come dance with Lila! 💫

https://losgatosballet.org/drop-in_program_classes/

09/04/2026

🩰 NUTCRACKER REGISTRATION — DUE TODAY! 🩰
The magic of The Nutcracker is just around the corner! ✨ Production participation is an important part of a dancer’s artistic and personal growth, and we’re excited to have our eligible dancers be part of this special experience.
Register by Friday, September 4!
✨ Eligibility: Pre-Ballet 3–Level 8
✨ Mandatory Rehearsals: November 7 & 14
✨ Theater Week: November 17–22
✨ Level 6–8 Nut Auditions: September 4
Have questions or need help with registration? We’re here to support you every step of the way! 💕

08/28/2026

🎄✨ Nutcracker Registration is Open! ✨🎄

Be part of the magic this holiday season! Production participation is an essential part of the Los Gatos Ballet experience, giving dancers the opportunity to develop both their technical skills and artistry through the rehearsal and performance process. 🩰

Registration is due Friday, September 4!

📌 Important Dates & Info:
✨ Eligibility: Pre-Ballet 3–Level 8
✨ Level 6–8 Nut Auditions: September 4
✨ Mandatory Rehearsals: November 7 & 14
✨ Theater Week: November 17–22
Photo by Annarose Monroe Photography

08/26/2026

📣 Back to Dance Parent Meeting
Mark your calendars! Join us Wednesday, August 26 at 7:00 PM at the LGB Amphitheater, 125 Alerche Dr. for our Back to Dance Parent Meeting. 🩰
We’ll go over important details for the upcoming season, answer questions, share what’s ahead, and connect with our LGB families. Your feedback and participation are always welcome!
Please note: All Youth Program classes are cancelled Wednesday, August 26 so that at least one representative from each family can attend. Dancers are welcome to join the meeting as well!
We’re looking forward to kicking off a wonderful new season together! ✨

08/23/2026

Happy Birthday Margot Aknin ✨

Join us in welcoming Company Artist Margot Aknin to the Smuin studios! And while we’re at it, let’s wish her a happy birthday!

⭐️ Margot Aknin (she/her) grew up in San Jose, CA, where she trained at Los Gatos Ballet under Marcie Ryken for ten years. After high school, she spent three years in the Graduate Program at Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre School, where she performed roles including the Sugar Plum Fairy in The Nutcracker and Nikiya in La Bayadère, and also performed with the main company in Terrence Orr’s Swan Lake, Don Quixote, The Nutcracker, La Bayadère, Sleeping Beauty, and Beauty and the Beast. As a member of BalletMet 2, Aknin performed corps and soloist roles in ballets by Edwaard Liang, David Nixon, Gustavo Ramirez Sansano, Gerard Charles, and George Balanchine. She joined Dayton Ballet in 2016, performing many principal roles, including Daisy in Ron Cunningham’s The Great Gatsby, Odette in Septime Webre’s Swan Lake, Lucy/Mina in Karen Russo Burke’s Dracula:Bloodlines, and other notable works by Jiří Kylián, Amy Seiwert, Jessica Lang, among others. Aknin joined Newport Contemporary Ballet in 2021, where she danced principal and soloist roles in ballets by Danielle Genest, Miki Ohlsen, Nicolo Fonte, Kristopher Estes-Brown, Amy Hall Garner, Takehiro Ueyama, DaYoung Jung, and others. Following her performances with Smuin in French Kiss, Aknin will join Golden State Ballet in San Diego.

We are so excited to have Margot join us on stage for our first performances of the 26/27 season! We hope you’ll join us for a show to see all of our artists share their stage together.

📸 Margot Aknin in rehearsal with Smuin Contemporary Ballet, photo by Maximillian Tortoriello.

08/21/2026

✨ The Nutcracker returns to Los Gatos Ballet! ✨
Join Clara on a magical journey through the Land of Snow and into the Kingdom of the Sweets. ❄️✨ Experience Tchaikovsky’s beloved score, beautiful dancing, stunning costumes, and holiday magic for the whole family.
📅 November 21 & 22
🕐 1PM & 6PM
📍 McAfee Performing Arts Center
🎟️ Tickets are ON SALE now! Make Los Gatos Ballet’s Nutcracker part of your holiday tradition. ❤️

https://losgatosballet.org/nutcracker/

Photos by Annarose Monroe Photography

08/19/2026

Looking for a way to keep moving, build strength, refine your technique, and enjoy dancing in a welcoming environment? Our Drop-In Program offers classes for a range of levels and experience.

🩰 Mixed Level Ballet
💫 Dance Lab
🔥 Flamenco — Beginning & Intermediate
Whether you’re returning to dance, continuing your training, or simply looking for a new way to move, there’s a place for you at Los Gatos Ballet.

📍 Los Gatos Ballet
✨ Drop in anytime — no long-term commitment required.
Save this schedule & join us in the studio!

08/17/2026

It all begins in first position. ✨ Our young dancers are back in the studio and ready to step into a new season of growth, artistry, and connection. Welcome back, dancers! 🩰