2020 marks Robert’s third anniversary as Artistic Director of BBT. Before assuming the mantle of Artistic Director, he taught in the BBT school for several years. When the position of Artistic Director became available, Dekkers applied. “It’s such a perfect fit for me,” he says. Last year the school of the Berkeley Ballet Theater and the company Post:Ballet merged. BBT is the official school. Post:Ballet is the official company. According to Dekkers, “By having a company, we get to ask questions. Where is ballet going? What kind of work are we doing? One reason why our work doesn’t become dated is because we are not bogged down by the cultural norms and traditions intrinsic to ballet.”
BBT is iconic on the West Coast as a traditional ballet school and provides rigorous classical training. Known for its strong technique, the school encourages dancers to join regional and national companies. Many BBT students also go on to top-tier colleges and universities. The BBT School Youth Division offers the usual levels of advancing technique, where students at the higher levels 7,8,9 can join the Studio Company and become part of BBT's annual programming that includes performance collaborations with groups like the Berkeley Symphony, BAMPFA, and the San Francisco Girls Chorus. Recent performances have been created by a long litany of talented choreographers, including new works by
Dani Rowe, Vanessa Thiessen, Keon Saghari, Laura O’Malley, and BBT’s very own Artistic Director Emerita Sally Streets, and of course, BBT’s Artistic Director Robert Dekkers.
Robert Dekkers with the PostBallet dancers
photo by Tricia Cronin FiveTreewcredit