A Message to the Peninsula Lively Arts/Peninsula Ballet Theatre Community
March 13, 2026
Dear Staff, Students, Families, Alumni, Faculty, and Friends,
It is with deep gratitude and sadness that we share difficult news about the future of Peninsula Lively Arts (PLA) and Peninsula Ballet Theatre (PBT).
After nearly 59 years serving dancers, artists, families, and communities across the Peninsula, the PLA and PBT Board of Directors voted to conclude operations at the end of the Spring 2026 season. Following extensive review and discussion, the Board voted on February 12, 2026 to dissolve the organization by June 30, 2026, after the completion of our scheduled classes and performances.
This decision was not made lightly. For generations of students and families, Peninsula Ballet Theatre has been much more than a studio. It has been a creative home for generations of young artists and a gathering place for families who share a love of dance and the performing arts — and where our community gathered year after year for performances that brought those artists to the stage.
The community that has grown around PLA and PBT is extraordinary, and the legacy of this organization is something we all care about deeply.
Over the past year, executive leadership and the Board conducted a comprehensive evaluation of PLA’s long-term sustainability and the options available to continue operating. Like many longstanding arts organizations, PLA has historically relied heavily on tuition and performance revenue to support its programming. While that model sustained decades of meaningful artistic work and community impact, the environment for nonprofit arts organizations has changed significantly. Over time, the organization was not able to build and sustain the level of fundraising support needed to supplement those earned revenues. Combined with rising operating costs and limited financial reserves, these realities made it increasingly difficult to adapt or restructure the organization for the future.
At the same time, the shopping plaza that houses PLA’s studios is scheduled for redevelopment beginning in 2027. Leadership explored a range of possibilities for remaining in the area, including participating in the redevelopment and identifying alternative locations along the Peninsula. We also considered whether a smaller facility could support our core studio programs. However, even scaled-down options would require facilities and long-term commitments that are difficult to secure and sustain in today’s Peninsula real estate market. Ultimately, we were unable to identify a path that would allow the organization to continue operating responsibly.
Taken together, these realities led the Board to the difficult conclusion that the responsible course is to conclude operations thoughtfully, rather than extend uncertainty for our students, staff, and families.
Importantly, PLA will do everything possible to continue programming through the Spring 2026 season. Our classes, rehearsals, and scheduled performances will proceed as planned. Our students will complete their final productions by June 7, 2026. In the coming weeks, families, faculty, renters, and donors will receive additional information regarding timelines and next steps.
Following the conclusion of programming, the organization will begin a formal dissolution process in accordance with California nonprofit regulations.
Since its founding in 1967, Peninsula Ballet Theatre has trained thousands of dancers and staged hundreds of performances. Alumni have gone on to professional careers in dance and the performing arts, while many more have carried forward the discipline, creativity, and confidence they developed in PLA’s studios, into every part of their lives.
That legacy belongs to this entire community — the dancers who worked tirelessly in the studio, the teachers and choreographers who inspired them, the families who supported them, the audiences who cheered them on, and the donors and volunteers who believed in the importance of the arts.
Our focus now is on closing this chapter with dignity while honoring the extraordinary impact of this organization and the community that made it possible.
We are deeply grateful to everyone who has been part of the Peninsula Lively Arts and Peninsula Ballet Theatre story for nearly six decades.
We will share updates on our website, via social media and our newsletters on a regular basis going forward. If you do not already subscribe to our newsletter, please do so in order to stay informed on current news. https://www.peninsulalivelyarts.org/
With appreciation,
Susan D. Condon
Board President, PLA
Debbie Chinn
Interim Executive Director, PLA
FAQ
Why is Peninsula Lively Arts closing?
After a comprehensive evaluation of the organization’s long-term sustainability, the Board determined that PLA’s current operating model is no longer viable. Over many decades, PLA and Peninsula Ballet Theatre (PBT) relied primarily on tuition and ticket sales to support programming and operations, without developing the sustained philanthropic base typically required to support a nonprofit arts organization of this scale.
At the same time, the shopping plaza housing PLA’s studios is scheduled for redevelopment beginning in 2027. Leadership explored a range of options for remaining in the area, including identifying alternative locations and considering whether a smaller footprint could support core programs. However, given the realities of the Peninsula real estate market and the resources available to the organization, no path forward was identified that would allow PLA to continue operating responsibly.
Taken together, these circumstances led the Board to conclude that concluding operations at the end of the Spring 2026 season is the most responsible course forward.
When will PLA officially close?
PLA will conclude operations by June 30, 2026. PLA is doing everything possible to ensure classes, rehearsals, and scheduled performances will continue through the end of the Spring 2026 season, including one final student performance in June. Specific dates and additional details will be communicated directly to students and families.
Why can’t PLA move to another location?
PLA currently operates in approximately 34,000 square feet of specialized arts space that supports studios, rehearsals, performances, costumes, storage, and administrative functions. Comparable facilities with appropriate studio configuration are extremely limited on the Peninsula.
Relocation would require significant upfront capital for lease requirements, security deposits, build-out improvements, and moving costs, as well as long-term lease commitments. Leadership also evaluated whether a smaller facility could support the organization’s core studio programs, but even scaled-down options would require resources and commitments beyond what is feasible.
After reviewing multiple potential sites, none were identified that would allow PLA to continue operating sustainably.
What happens to currently enrolled students?
PLA is doing everything possible to ensure classes and performances scheduled for Spring 2026 proceed as planned. Families and adults will receive direct communication regarding timelines and any related administrative details.
Could this decision change?
No, the PLA Board voted on February 12, 2026 to formally dissolve the organization. After months of evaluation and exploration of possible alternatives, the Board determined that concluding operations on June 30, 2026, at the end of the Spring season, is the most responsible course forward, given the organization’s long-term sustainability challenges and facility realities.
Are you still accepting new students or tuition payments?
PLA is working to continue operating for currently enrolled students through the Spring 2026 season. The organization will not enroll students in new long-term programming that extends beyond the final operating season.
Where can students seek similar training?
We understand that students will want to plan for the future. While PLA cannot formally endorse or certify other programs, we encourage students to explore other arts and dance organizations on the Peninsula and ask about training standards, instructor credentials, and youth safety policies.
PLA will do its best to offer general guidance to students as they plan next steps.
What’s going to happen to the PLA organization and trademark?
PLA will complete the Spring 2026 season and then proceed with a formal wind-down and dissolution process, in accordance with California nonprofit regulations. The Board is committed to stewarding the organization’s legacy and concluding operations in an orderly and respectful manner. After the dissolution is complete, PLA and PBT will no longer exist.
Where will classes be held through the end of the season?
PLA is working to ensure that classes and programming continue at PLA’s current location through the end of the Spring 2026 season.
What will happen to the performing company?
The performing company has no further scheduled performances. PLA students will perform one last time on June 7, 2026. Company members and students will receive direct communication regarding final performances and transition planning.
What if we were to receive a major donation?
While additional funding could support short-term operations, the Board determined that the organization’s facility constraints and long-term sustainability challenges mean that a single donation would not resolve the structural issues facing PLA.
For these reasons, the Board concluded that winding down operations at the end of the season is the most responsible course.
Will the organization ever return?
No. PBT and PLA, as currently structured under its 501(c)(3) status, will be formally dissolved in accordance with California law on or before December 31, 2026.
How will updates be shared?
Updates will be shared directly with staff, families, faculty, students, and stakeholders via email and posted to the PLA website.
Media inquiries and public questions should be directed to:
Joe Arellano, Media Relations — joe@joearellano.com
Susan Condon, Board President — scondon@gcalaw.com
Debbie Chinn, Interim Executive Director — dchinn@peninsulalivelyarts.org
Adult workshop: Dying Swan
This 6-week workshop (February 19 - March 26) is for beginner/intermediate adult students who wish to learn ballet repertoire. From 6:15 - 7:45, students will participate in a technique class with Artistic Director Gregory Amato, followed by a 45-minute repertory class with Kelley Hashemi and Chloé Watson. This workshop will focus on the iconic variation, Dying Swan. Both Kelley and Chloé have performed Dying Swan numerous times with Peninsula Ballet Theatre and are excited to share their experience and knowledge on this variation with you!
Make a Gift to Dance, to Creativity, and to a Hopeful Future!
When you give, and give generously, to Peninsula Lively Arts, you are having such an amazing impact not on individual lives, but on the collective power of young people to take on the big issues of this world and solve them with creativity, confidence, rigor and joy.