San Francisco Ballet from American popular culture, Harold and Lew joined George Balanchine's new company, American Ballet, in 1935. In 1932, Willam formed a ballet school in Portland, Oregon; in 1937, he was engaged as principal male soloist by San Francisco Opera Ballet. He became the company's ballet master and choreographer in 1938. With his brother Harold, he purchased the company from the Opera in 1942, renaming it San Francisco Ballet. In 1951, Willam retired as director of SF Ballet and moved to Utah, where he started teaching ballet in the country’s first university ballet department at the University of Utah. With a
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