San Francisco Ballet group of his students, he founded the Utah Civic Ballet (now known as Ballet West) in 1963; the company remained under Christensen's directorship until 1978. Under Balanchine's tutelage at American Ballet, Lew Christensen became the first American-born "danseur noble". The United States Army drafted Christensen to fight in World War II. After the war ended, he joined Balanchine's and Lincoln Kirstein's Ballet Society (soon to become New York City Ballet), eventually becoming ballet master; he served in the role from 1946 until 1950. In 1951, he joined his brother Willam as co-director of San Francisco Ballet. When Willam moved to
San Francisco Parks Trust San Francisco Parks Trust San Francisco Parks Trust was a U.S. non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation and enhancement of parks in San Francisco, California. In 2011 the San Francisco Parks Council and San Francisco Parks Trust merged to form the new San Francisco Parks Alliance. Founded in 1971 with a $50,000 grant from developer and philanthropist, Walter Shorenstein, San Francisco Parks Trust, formerly Friends of Recreation & Parks, began as an all-volunteer organization dedicated to supporting San Francisco parks. SFPT's offices are located in historic McLaren Lodge at the eastern end of Golden Gate Park, overlooking the City Tree