Dear Redding City Ballet Supporters,

Redding City Ballet’s production of The Nutcracker has long been a source of quality performing arts education and entertainment for our community. Over the past several years, the production has grown and drawn in many talented and committed individuals who have provided new energy and ideas that continue to make this community-based organization thrive.

This expansion in our leadership pool has allowed us to share responsibilities and accomplish more together. Our Board of Directors firmly believes that a strong culture of collaboration, shared authority, and mutual responsibility is essential to the success of our productions. The health and growth of our dancers is our top priority. An important part of our journey has been navigating through differing ideas and opinions while forging a path forward that will best serve our mission, our dancers, and our community.

After welcoming several new Board members in the spring of 2022, our Board worked diligently to understand and agree on the direction of our organization and its leadership structure. As sometimes happens during times of change and expansion, some individuals working with our Board held opinions that diverged significantly from the vision of collaborative leadership that began to coalesce. Over time, it became evident that we would not be able to reconcile these differences in a productive manner. Due to these irreconcilable philosophical differences, the Board has made the decision to move forward this year with a new Artistic Director. We want to express our gratitude to those who have provided leadership for this organization in the past and for all the ways they have helped to grow the Redding City Ballet in size and quality of experience for our dancers and audiences.

As we look to the future, we are excited to announce that Ashley Ramsour will be stepping in as our 2023 Nutcracker Artistic Director with Julie Smyrnos serving alongside her as our 2023 Nutcracker Assistant Artistic Director. With the vision of our artistic team, the commitment of our Board of Directors, and the talent and enthusiasm of our dancers and volunteers, we know that the Redding City Ballet will continue to flourish for years to come.

Thank you for your continued support of our efforts to bring quality dance productions and dance education to our community.

Sincerely,
Chris Steward, President
RCB Board of Directors