The Sarasota Cuban Ballet School Inc SUMMARY Mission Our mission is to foster global understanding through training a diverse student body of beginning through preprofessional dancers, recruited internationally and locally, in the Cuban ballet style; to provide scholarship assistance for talented students in financial need; to offer diversity in cultural performances in our community; and to bring educational programs and performances to schools, residences for seniors and civic organizations. Contact Information Primary Address Alternate Address 501 N BENEVA RD SUITE 700 SARASOTA, FL 34232-1352 501 N. Beneva Road Suite 700 Sarasota FL 34232 1352 Phone 941 365-8400 Email info.sarasotacubanballet@gmail.com Website www.srqcubanballet.com Facebook sarasotacubanballetschool General Information nprofit Former Names Sarasota Cuban Ballet School, LLC DanzAmerica Inc. Tax Exempt Status The Sarasota Cuban Ballet School Inc Public Supported Charity Incorporation Year 2014 1
State Charitable Solicitations Permit Feb 2018 State Registration Feb 2017 2
BACKGROUND & NEEDS Impact Statement ACCOMPLISHMENTS 1. Successful Outreach program to Sarasota Title I schools 2.2017 Summer Intensive program for 100 participants from throughout the world, culminated in critically acclaimed OnStage performance. 3.Medals Won: April 2017 23rd International Ballet Schools Competition, Havana, Cuba-1 gold 2 bronze, 2 finalists; June 2017 World Ballet Competition, Orlando 2 gold. 4.Dancers invited to perform at World Rowing Championship, Sarasota Opera, Key to the Cure and other community events. 5.Scholarships to more than 1/3 of students GOALS 1.Introduce ballet to economically disadvantaged young people and their families 2.Increase the number of scholarships that can be offered to promising people of all ages, including Title 1 students. 3.Sustain and grow existing classes and programs that train the next generation of professional dancers in the Cuban style 4.Help youth company pre-professionals become professionals with training, major performances and participating in competitions. Needs Statement 1.General Support to help sustain and grow the Sarasota Cuban Ballet School: $25,000 2.Funding for outreach program to Title 1 Schools: $20,000 3. Scholarships for lower income Title 1 school students who are interested in studying ballet; scholarships for students in pre-professional and summer intensive programs who have the talent and commitment to become professionals: $2,000-$6,000 per student, depending on age, need, and whether they attend school year program, or summer intensive or both. 4.Ballet slippers, pointe shoes and tutus: $500 per student 5. Community Outreach for free dance presentations and performances in community centers and other venues; $1,000 per performance Background Statement The Sarasota Cuban Ballet School is the destination for the Cuban style of ballet in the US, a style renowned for athleticism, passion and grace. It incorporates influences from the major classical schools of ballet. According to dance experts this style is changing the face of modern ballet. Local dance critic Carrie Seidman wrote, It s not often a veteran dance critic can attend what is essentially a glorified student recital and walk away feeling amazed, impressed and hopeful for the future of ballet. The Sarasota Cuban Ballet School is working diligently and against great financial odds to bring that important tradition, training and magnetism to America and I, for one, hope it gets the support it so badly needs and deserves. SCBS was founded in 2012 by the Cuban-born husband and wife team of Ariel Serrano and Wilmian Hernandez. They trained at the elite National Ballet School of Cuba and performed internationally. In 1993 they moved to Sarasota to join the Sarasota Ballet. Co-Artistic Directors of SCBS, they teach classes at all levels for students from age 3 to adult; the heart of the School's program is a rigorous training course to prepare talented, serious young dancers for professional careers. In the short time SCBS has been in existence -- established in 2012 and recognized as a 501(c)3 tax exempt organization in February 2014 it has established itself as an important member of the Sarasota arts community and is being recognized beyond its borders. Our youth company and pre-professional participants come from throughout the United States, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Cuba, S. America, Europe and Asia. Former students perform with the Royal Ballet, Dance Theater of Harlem, Milwaukee Ballet, Cincinnati Ballet, Atlanta Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, Ballet West, Boston Ballet, Ballet Manila, and Ballet Municipal de Lima. SCBS activities include: 1) a full array of dance classes including creative movement for very young children, ballet for children ages six and above, and a pre-professional program, preparing our most skilled students for a 3
career in ballet ; 2) a Summer Intensive program that brings together young people from all over the world who have the talent and drive to become professional dancers; 3) professional level performances for the community at large and 4) programs for Title 1 Schools economically disadvantaged elementary school children and their families who might otherwise not have this exposure or opportunity. Statement from the Board Chair I chose to support the Sarasota Cuban Ballet School, Inc. because I believe in its mission and was confident that the founders would demonstrate through hard work and talent their devotion to the well-being of their students and their desire to help students meet their potential. These founders, Ariel Serrano and Wilmian Hernandez, who defected from Cuba, are productive members of the community and I believe they deserve the community's support. As a retired businessman, I have volunteered for many large non-profits over the years. Working with a small, relatively new organization, where I have developed a personal relationship with the founders, has been a very different but very special experience. Everyone involved with the school is working overtime to help us succeed and I am sure we will achieve our goals. In the short time the school has been in existence we have established relationships with the other non-profit organizations and become a respected member of the Sarasota Arts Community. We are recognized as a destination for the study of the Cuban style of ballet our summer intensive program attracts students from many countries as well as many US states and we have an exchange program with the Cuban National Ballet School in Havana. Our preprofessionals students were invited to perform at the World Rowing Championships and Key to the Cure and will be dancing in the upcoming fall season of the Sarasota Opera. I am also proud of the fact that we are reaching out to the Title 1 school community here in Sarasota. Statement from the CEO/Executive Director Areas Served FL International National The Sarasota Cuban Ballet School is located in Sarasota. We offer classes, and performances by our youth company pre-professionals in Sarasota and reach out to Sarasota s Title 1 schools. Our youth company and pre-professional participants come from throughout the United States, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Cuba, S. America, Europe and Asia. Service Categories Primary Organization Type Secondary Organization Type Arts,Culture & Humanities Youth Development 4
PROGRAMS Summer Intensive Description Summer Intensive Program. a six week six hour a day program for young people who have the talent and drive to become professional ballet dancers. Participants come from all over the world as near as Sarasota and as far away as Japan. They are selected after a rigorous audition process (either in person or video). The six-week program culminates July 29th with an afternoon showcase for all of the Summer Intensive Students and an evening performance where students are joined by professionals who studied with us and are now members of prestigious ballet companies. Budget $100,000.00 Category Program Linked to Organizational Strategy Arts, Culture & Humanities, General/Other Dance Population Served General/Unspecified Adolescents Only (13-19 years) Children Only (5-14 years) Short Term Success Long Term Success Program Success Monitoring Program Success Examples The best description of the short term success is a quote from Sarasota Herald Tribune Dance Critic who after seeing the culminating performance said, It s not often a veteran dance critic can attend what is essentially a glorified student recital and walk away feeling amazed, impressed and hopeful for the future of ballet. The Sarasota Cuban Ballet School is working diligently and against great financial odds to bring that important tradition, training and magnetism to America and I, for one, hope it gets the support it so badly needs and deserves. The quote from the dance critic is also an example of the long term success. Other examples are the professionals who perform with the summer intensive students. They are former participants in the program who have now gone on to be professional dancers in prestigious companies. As a result of the Summer Intensive and SCBS Pre-professional programs the Sarasota Cuban Ballet School has become a much sought after US destination for the study of the Cuban style ballet and an important member of Sarasota Arts Community. An example of the success of the Summer Intensive Program is the number of applications we receive for participation from aspiring professional dancers from across the United States, including Puerto Rico, Europe and Asia. 5
School Year Classes Description We offer a full array of classes: creative movement for very young children, ballet for children ages 6 to 10, and the pre-professional program that prepares our most skilled students to handle any repertoire and prepares them for a career in dance. Our pre-professional students maintain a rigorous schedule, dancing up to six days a week. A typical day can include ballet class, partnering instruction, and rehearsals.in spite of this rigorous schedule, they are required to keep up their academic education. Although SCBS is located in Sarasota, we attract young people to our pre-professional program from throughout the country. We also offer adult ballet classes for a range of abilities, from returnees to ballet after many years, to professional grade classes, as well as classes for pure beginners. Our instructors have all danced professionally and are passionate about teaching and sharing their knowledge with the next generation. Budget $0.00 Category Program Linked to Organizational Strategy Arts, Culture & Humanities, General/Other Dance Population Served General/Unspecified Adolescents Only (13-19 years) Children Only (5-14 years) Short Term Success Long Term Success Program Success Monitoring Program Success Examples The increasing student body and the fact that once enrolled most of our students stay with the program for the long term. The long term and short term success are essentially the same. We keep track of attendance and receive comments from our students. All students can perform in the annual production of The Nutcracker and the annual end of the school year performance. These performances are well attended and very well received. The audiences comprise a cross section of the community -- way beyond the parents of the performers. 6
Pre-professional Description The heart of the Sarasota Cuban Ballet School's program is preparing talented committed young dancers for careers in ballet --and the preprofessional program is the training and opportunities we provide to these young people.. Our pre-professional students maintain a rigorous schedule, dancing up to six days a week. A typical day can include ballet class, partnering instruction, and rehearsals.in spite of this rigorous schedule, they are required to keep up their academic education. They also have opportunities to perform for the community at large. Although SCBS is located in Sarasota, we attract young people to our preprofessional program from throughout the country as well as Europe, Asia and South America. Budget $0.00 Category Program Linked to Organizational Strategy Population Served Short Term Success Long Term Success Program Success Monitoring Program Success Examples Arts, Culture & Humanities, General/Other Dance Adolescents Only (13-19 years) Children Only (5-14 years) Adults Short term success and long terms success are illustrated by the number of invitations our dancers receive to perform. We are now receiving more opportunities that can be accepted. Another example of the success is the longevity and commitment of the students in this program. Success is prestigious competitions by our students which lead to invitations to join well known professional dance companies are illustrative of the long term success for dancers in our pre-professional program. The long term benefits for the community including the opportunity to see professional level performance by our pre-professionals who are trained in the Cuban style of ballet. As mentioned, our pre-professional dancers are receiving more invitations to perform in the community than can be accommodated. Of particular note is an invitation that has been accepted; Sarasota Cuban Ballet School dancers will be performing in the upcoming Sarasota Opera's fall season production of La Traviata. Comments Program Comments by Organization 7
MANAGEMENT CEO/Executive Director CEO/Executive Director Mr. Ariel Serrano CEO Term Start Jan 2012 CEO Email info.sarasotacubanballet@gmail.com Experience Ariel Serrano was born in Oriente, Cuba. He began his training at the National School of Arts and then trained in Italy. He returned to Cuba in 1991 and brought his evident talent to Ballet Camaguey, under the direction of Fernando Alonso, where he interpreted principal roles from the classical repertoire: Paquita, La Fille Mal Gardee, Swan Lake, The Flower Festival, Guillermo Tell, Giselle, Coppelia, and Don Quixote. In 1992, he joined the Youth Ballet of the National Ballet of Cuba under Laura Alonso, and under the artistic direction of Alicia Alonso, he delighted audiences with his renditions of the pas de deux in works such as Diana and Acteon, Le Corsaire, Sleeping Beauty, and Majismo as well as many contemporary works by Cuban choreographers. 1993 brought Serrano and his wife Wilmian Hernandez to Monterrey, Mexico, to perform with Ann Marie D Angelo and her dance company. There he dazzled audiences in principal roles - in the full version of Swan Lake, The Nutcracker and Nuestros Valses of Vicente Nebrada, as well as contemporary choreography of Ann Marie D Angelo. In 1995, Artistic Director Robert de Warren recognized Serrano s amazing energy and talent by inviting him to perform as principal with the Sarasota Ballet of Florida. His vibrant adaptations of principal roles in full performances of ballets such as Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty, The Nutcracker, Carmen and a Midsummer Night s Dream, have brought him great acclaim from Florida audiences. Serrano has worked with many great names of the dance world such as Melissa Hayden, Cynthia Gregory, Fernando Bujones, and Laura Alonso. He has toured Europe, America and Asia and one of the highest honors in Serrano s young career was the chance to participate in the ballet competition in Helsinki, Finland, where he finished with top honors. In 2012, Ariel, with his wife, Wilmian Hernandez, founded the Sarasota Cuban Ballet School. Co-CEO/Executive Director Co-CEO/Executive Director Co-CEO Term Start Jan 2012 Email Mrs. Wilmian Hernandez info.sarasotacubanballet@gmail.com Experience A native of Cuba, Wilmian Hernandez graduated from the National School of Art in 1984 and commenced her professional career under the artistic direction of Fernando Alonso at Ballet Camaguey. In 1988, Ms. Hernandez was promoted to soloist and began dancing leading roles from the classical repertoire including Giselle, Coppelia, Paquita, Swan Lake, Les Sylphides, Majisimo and Pas De Quatre. Ms. Hernandez joined Laura Alonso s company in Havana, interpreting principal roles in Raymonda, Majisimo, Le Corsaire, Sleeping Beauty, Diana and Acteon Pas de Deux, Don Quixote and the Black Swan, as well as other contemporary repertoire. Invited by Marie D Angelo to join the Monterrey Ballet in Mexico in 1993, Ms. Hernandez danced roles in the The Nutcracker, Swan Lake and in contemporary ballets choreographed by D Angelo and Cynthia Gregory. During this time she also toured and performed in Europe, Asia and America. In 1995, Artistic Director Robert De Warren invited Ms. Hernandez to perform as soloist with the Sarasota Ballet of Florida in roles such as Bluebird in Sleeping Beauty, Herminia in A Midsummer Night s Dream, Le Corsaire, The Nutcracker and Lehcar. Ms. Hernandez s sensitivity to the music and emotions of ballet have brought her warm applause from Florida and worldwide audiences. Wilmian, with her husband, Ariel Serrano, founded the Sarasota Cuban Ballet School. Senior Staff Wilmian Hernandez Co Founder Co Artistic Director 8
Staff & Volunteer Statistics Full Time Staff 3 Part Time Staff 1 Staff Retention Rate % 100 Professional Development Contractors 9 Volunteers 20 Management Reports to Board CEO/Executive Director Formal Evaluation Senior Management Formal Evaluation nmanagement Formal Evaluation Collaborations The Sarasota Cuban Ballet School has become an important member of Sarasota s arts community. The Sarasota Opera has invited our students to perform in La Traviata. Our in-house choreographer is collaborating with the appropriate staff at the opera on this opportunity. We have also collaborated with administrators and staff of Sarasota s Title 1 schools to introduce students to ballet. In the near future we will be part of the Age Friendly Sarasota Festival and the Arts Alliance Inspire Sarasota event. 9
GOVERNANCE Board Chair Board Chair Leonard S. Kesten Company Affiliation Retired Board Term Jan 2015 to Dec 2017 Board Chair Email lsksjk@aol.com Board Members Name Affiliation Status Mr. Leonard S. Kesten Retired Voting Mr. Eric F. Long Community Volunteer Voting Ms. Theresa Najmolholda Saks Fifth Avenue Voting Mr. Ariel Serrano The Sarasota Cuban Ballet, Inc. Voting Mr. Rolando Yanes Milwaukee Ballet Voting Board Demographics - Ethnicity African American/Black 0 Asian American/Pacific Islander 0 Caucasian 3 Hispanic/Latino 2 Native American/American Indian 0 Other 0 0 Board Demographics - Gender Male 4 Female 1 t Specified 0 Governance Board Term Lengths 2 Board Term Limits 2 Board Orientation Number of Full Board Meetings Annually 9 Board Meeting Attendance % 74 Board Self-Evaluation Written Board Selection Criteria Percentage of Board Making Monetary Contributions 50 10
Percentage of Board Making In-Kind Contributions 50 Constituency Includes Client Representation Standing Committees Board Development / Board Orientation Board Governance Communications / Promotion / Publicity / Public Relations Finance Development / Fund Development / Fund Raising / Grant Writing / Major Gifts Comments Governance Comments by Organization The Board recently added a new member Theresa Naymolholda. She is an enthusiastic member of the Board of Directors and has committed to "spreading the word" in a variety of ways including identifying other potential supporters. We are fortunate to have a very hands on board. We continue to work to recruit new board members. 11
FINANCIALS Current Financial Info Fiscal Year Begins 2018 Fiscal Year Ends 2018 Projected Revenue $621,800.00 Projected Expenses $621,800.00 Total Projected Revenue includes "in-kind" contributions/ donations Endowment Value $0.00 Spending Policy N/A Spending Policy Percentage 0 Tax Credits Capital Campaign In a Capital Campaign Campaign Goal 0 IRS Form 990s 990 Form 990 990-EZ The Sarasota Cuban Ballet School 990-N DanzAmerica Audit/Financial Documents Financials Financial Statement Danz America-SCBS Financial Stmt. DanzAmerica Financials Solvency Short Term Solvency Fiscal Year 2016 2015 2014 Current Ratio: Current Assets/Current Liabilities 68.59 8.29 1.86 Long Term Solvency Fiscal Year 2016 2015 2014 Long-Term Liabilities/Total Assets 0% 0% 0% Historical Financial Review 12
Revenue and Expenses Fiscal Year 2016 2015 2014 Total Revenue $522,481 $544,186 $77,978 Total Expenses $471,394 $511,018 $69,595 Revenue Sources Fiscal Year 2016 2015 2014 Foundation and Corporation $0 $0 $0 Contributions Government Contributions $0 $0 $0 Federal $0 $0 $0 State $0 $0 $0 Local $0 $0 $0 Unspecified $0 $0 $0 Individual Contributions $189,082 $133,321 $0 Indirect Public Support $0 $0 $0 Earned Revenue $333,392 $410,855 $77,978 Investment Income, Net of Losses $7 $10 $0 Membership Dues $0 $0 $0 Special Events $0 $0 $0 Revenue In-Kind $0 $5,500 $0 Other $0 $0 $0 Expense Allocation Fiscal Year 2016 2015 2014 Program Expense $342,049 $377,407 $35,754 Administration Expense $129,345 $133,611 $33,841 Fundraising Expense $0 $0 $0 Payments to Affiliates $0 $0 $0 Total Revenue/Total Expenses 1.11 1.06 1.12 Program Expense/Total Expenses 73% 74% 51% Fundraising Expense/Contributed Revenue 0% 0% -- Assets and Liabilities Fiscal Year 2016 2015 2014 Total Assets $84,275 $43,143 $10,851 Current Assets $83,064 $41,201 $10,851 Long-Term Liabilities $0 $0 $0 Current Liabilities $1,211 $4,969 $5,845 Total Net Assets $81,610 $38,174 $5,006 Top Funding Sources Fiscal Year 2016 2015 2014 Top Funding Source & Dollar Amount Program Revenue $300,847 Education & Tuition $271,895 Program Service Revenue $77,978 Second Highest Funding Source & Dollar Contributions, gifts, Contributions, gifts, 0 $0 Amount grants $189,082 grants $133,321 Third Highest Funding Source & Dollar Amount Ticket Sales $32,545 Program Service Fees $49,773 0 $0 Comments Financial Comments by Organization Our income increased significantly in 2015. However, as a young organization we are still experiencing growing pains. To recruit new students to our pre-professional program, which trains young artists for careers in dance, we must be able to offer needs-based scholarships because many of the most talented students do not 13
have the means to pay for their training. We also require additional funds for our outreach programs so that we can continue to bring ballet to Title I schools and people of all ages in culturally underserved areas of Sarasota. We also need scholarships for ballet lessons for children from Title I schools. We have several of these students taking classes now and would like to increase that number. We are addressing these challenges by escalating our fund-raising efforts with individuals corporations and foundations and raising our school s profile in the community. For example, a new board member, Ed Town, recently introduced us to the Community Foundation of Sarasota County We found that we share many areas of interest and have subsequently received grants from the foundation. We have also won Tourism grants from Sarasota County for our annual On Stage with the Sarasota Cuban Ballet School at the Sarasota Opera House, which allows us to increase our advertising, and thus our ticket sales. We believe that raising our public profile will help us immensely with our fund-raising, and to that end we have been inviting community groups to short performances by our pre-professional dancers at our black-box studio. One of our donors also hosted a wine and cheese reception for us at our school recently, which has resulted in donations from attendees Financial Comments by Foundation For 2013, financial information was taken from unaudited compilations prepared by an independent auditor, as the organization filed a 990-N. For 2014 and 2015, financial information was taken from 990-EZ, along with unaudited compilations. Contributions include foundation and corporate support. Contributions include both business and individual contributions as they are not separately stated in the compilations. 14
PLANS, POLICIES & LICENSES Plans Fundraising Plan Communication Plan Strategic Plan Strategic Plan Adopted Jan 2016 Years Strategic Plan Considers 1 Management Succession Plan Continuity of Operations Plan Policies Organizational Policies and Procedures Written Conflict of Interest Policy ndiscrimination Policy Directors and Officers Insurance Policy Whistle Blower Policy Document Destruction Policy Affiliations Affiliation Year Arts and Cultural Alliance of Sarasota County 2015 Awards & Recognition Award/Recognition Organization Year Outstanding Teacher, Ariel Serrano; Grand Prix Award, Harold Mendez, student Students Michael Mengden and Sophie Miklosovic, gold medals in two senior categories 2 students in top seven, Senior Classical Division Youth America Grand Prix, Denver regional competition 2016 Youth America Grand Prix, Indianapolis Regional Competition 2016 Universal Ballet Competition, Miramar Florida 2016 Government Licenses Is your organization licensed by the Government? Planning & Policies Comments Planning & Policies Comments by Organization Planning & Policies Comments by Foundation Created 04.01.2018. Copyright 2018 15