Ballet dancer Julia Feldman’s passion for choreography runs deep
When Julia Feldman is in the middle of choreographing a ballet piece, she can think of little else. It can be all-consuming, like how she feels now as she choreographs for “Visions,” a program of the Sacramento Ballet, where she has been a company member since 2011. The program has a triple bill — Feldman and two other choreographers — and will be performed at The Sofia in late March.
This is Feldman’s second full commission as a choreographer, but she has plenty of other experience from which to draw. For Sac Ballet’s annual Beer & Ballet production each spring, any dancer who wants to choreograph can sign up to do so. These are shorter pieces and “a chance to dip your toes into choreographing,” Feldman says. “I’ve done that with Sacramento Ballet every year since 2012, so I’ve really developed my passion for choreographing.”
Raised in Davis, Feldman trained at Pamela Hayes Classical Ballet, a pre-professional school in El Dorado Hills, and attended Natomas Charter School’s Performing and Fine Arts Academy. Her first job as a company member was with Sac Ballet. “I’ve just really loved being here, and I feel very lucky I’ve not had to go too far away,” says Feldman, adding that she is one of the last ballet dancers in the company from the Sacramento region, as the other members now come from all over the United States and the world, including France, Australia and the Philippines.
In 2015, Feldman and a few other Sac Ballet members founded Capital Dance Project, which has been a “whole other adventure,” she says. During that time, Sac Ballet was experiencing financial troubles and cut the season short — Beer & Ballet was canceled and dancers were laid off. “There was a bit of like, do we just say goodbye and go part ways until next season? But we have these ballets that we’ve started,” Feldman says. “It was a pretty quick decision, just as a group, that we wanted to put on a performance ourselves and finish the ballets that we had begun.”
In just 21 days, the dancers booked Crest Theatre, came up with the CDP name, started a website, found a fiscal sponsor, fundraised and marketed, and did everything else needed to put on an inaugural performance. They did the show for the sake of coming together, Feldman says, but they didn’t know if anyone would show up.
“We just were really, really blown away by the support of our community that year,” she says. “That particular performance is one that I will never forget — looking out and seeing a full house and being like, Oh my God, so many people came to see this. It was just a really incredible, empowering experience.”
The CDP founders decided they didn’t want this to be a one-time thing. They wanted to keep it going every summer between Sac Ballet’s seasons. The group functions as a collective, Feldman says, with everyone sharing duties and having a chance to explore areas outside of dance. “If you’re interested in development, in fundraising, in marketing, in poster design, website design, production management, anything and everything, we do [it] ourselves, and that’s become a really core part of Capital Dance Project,” she says.
CDP works with other artists in the community through its annual Behind the Barre production, which is when choreographers pair with local artists and musicians. They also have a makers’ mart during the production, featuring arts and crafts by local vendors.
As Feldman prepares for her upcoming Visions production and her mind stays focused on the choreography part of her work, she says she is thrilled to be pursuing this other career path. “As dancers, it’s like such a huge part of our life that it’s hard to imagine anything else bringing that same fulfillment,” she says. “I feel like choreographing absolutely gives me that same kind of excitement and fulfillment and passion.”
Raised in Davis, Feldman trained at Pamela Hayes Classical Ballet, a pre-professional school in El Dorado Hills, and attended Natomas Charter School’s Performing and Fine Arts Academy. Her first job as a company member was with Sac Ballet. “I’ve just really loved being here, and I feel very lucky I’ve not had to go too far away,” says Feldman, adding that she is one of the last ballet dancers in the company from the Sacramento region, as the other members now come from all over the United States and the world, including France, Australia and the Philippines.
In 2015, Feldman and a few other Sac Ballet members founded Capital Dance Project, which has been a “whole other adventure,” she says. During that time, Sac Ballet was experiencing financial troubles and cut the season short — Beer & Ballet was canceled and dancers were laid off. “There was a bit of like, do we just say goodbye and go part ways until next season? But we have these ballets that we’ve started,” Feldman says. “It was a pretty quick decision, just as a group, that we wanted to put on a performance ourselves and finish the ballets that we had begun.”
In just 21 days, the dancers booked Crest Theatre, came up with the CDP name, started a website, found a fiscal sponsor, fundraised and marketed, and did everything else needed to put on an inaugural performance. They did the show for the sake of coming together, Feldman says, but they didn’t know if anyone would show up.
“We just were really, really blown away by the support of our community that year,” she says. “That particular performance is one that I will never forget — looking out and seeing a full house and being like, Oh my God, so many people came to see this. It was just a really incredible, empowering experience.”
The CDP founders decided they didn’t want this to be a one-time thing. They wanted to keep it going every summer between Sac Ballet’s seasons. The group functions as a collective, Feldman says, with everyone sharing duties and having a chance to explore areas outside of dance. “If you’re interested in development, in fundraising, in marketing, in poster design, website design, production management, anything and everything, we do [it] ourselves, and that’s become a really core part of Capital Dance Project,” she says.
CDP works with other artists in the community through its annual Behind the Barre production, which is when choreographers pair with local artists and musicians. They also have a makers’ mart during the production, featuring arts and crafts by local vendors.
As Feldman prepares for her upcoming Visions production and her mind stays focused on the choreography part of her work, she says she is thrilled to be pursuing this other career path. “As dancers, it’s like such a huge part of our life that it’s hard to imagine anything else bringing that same fulfillment,” she says. “I feel like choreographing absolutely gives me that same kind of excitement and fulfillment and passion.”