San Francisco Ballet illustrious faculty includes Patrick Armand, Kristi DeCaminada, Karen Gabay, Yuko Katsumi, Tina LeBlanc, Jeffrey Lyons, Rubén Martín Cintas, Ilona McHugh, Pascal Molat, Wendy Van Dyck (Trainee Program Assistant), Jaime Diaz (Strengthening), Brian Fisher (Contemporary), Dana Genshaft (Contemporary dance and conditioning), Henry Berg (Conditioning), Leonid Shagalov (Character), Jamie Narushchen (Music), and Daniel Sullivan (Music). The guest faculty for 2017 includes Sofiane Sylve (Principal Guest). Founded in 1975 to serve as San Francisco Ballet's official permanent orchestra, San Francisco Ballet Orchestra (SFBO) holds the rare position of being one of three major orchestras in a single city. The orchestra debuted at the
San Francisco Ballet School including some overseas. The School’s summer session offers two programs for student dancers ages 12 to 18 at the intermediate and advanced/pre-professional levels. Program 1 is a three-week intermediate program. Program 2 is a four-week intensive program for advanced and pre-professional students. Prior to 2015, the School’s Pre-ballet program was for children aged six and seven. Starting in 2015, the pre-ballet program was expanded to include classes for children aged four and five. Pre-ballet requires no audition, though class size is limited. The program’s classes meet once a week; the children focus on basic ballet technique, proper body alignment, and