Tech Leaders Plie and Pirouette To Save Ballet San Jose

Some of Silicon Valley’s biggest tech geeks are coming out to support the flailing Ballet San Jose by baring their dance skills, or lack thereof, on video.

The video, created by Blue Lotus Films for the ballet’s fundraising drive, features Silicon Valley tech CEOs and entrepreneurs showing off their best dance moves.

Daniel Burka, a design partner at Google Ventures,  took to the hills overlooking San Francisco to leap and jump. Others did plies and pirouettes in their living rooms, porches or office spaces to show what ballet means to them.

But the computer minded aren't the only ones who want to save the dance troupe. Ballet San Jose students have been dancing across Silicon Valley to help raise  money too. Imelda Philips of Union City is a mother of one of the students, whose 15-year-old daughter, Isabella, was inspired to put together a dancing video after watching a flash mob on TV on Sunday night.

"Dancing is everything for my daughter," Philips said.

In less than 24 hours, Isabella rounded a group of friends to put the video together, which was created and edited by 17-year-old Naomi Sailors in Fremont on Monday.

"There is just so much money in Silicon Valley," Naomi's mom, Faye Sailors, said on Tuesday. "We just can't lose ballet."

Ballet leaders say they needs to raise $550,000 by Saturday in order to stay open.

As of Tuesday morning, ballet organizers said they had reached 60 percent of their goal. To find out more, click here.
 

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