San Jose Dance Theatre

What it reported doing in 2024

San jose dance theatre continued to advance its mission of providing high- quality ballet training, meaningful performance opportunities, and greater access to the arts for children and families in silicon valley during the year ended june 30, 2025. In addition to presenting major productions and serving students through its academy, sjdt made an important investment in its artistic leadership structure. Throughout 2024, the organization operated with a school director model, and at the beginning of 2025, sjdt hired nicole haskins as artistic director. Nicole now leads the artistic vision of sjdt's productions and future performance programming, while former school director brooke wertwijn remained on staff as an instructor, allowing the organization to retain her experience and continuity with students. Sjdt's academy remained at the center of the organization's work, providing structured ballet education for students from early childhood through advanced levels. The academy offered year-round training in classical ballet technique, pointe, variations, conditioning, and complementary dance styles, with an emphasis on discipline, artistry, confidence, and personal growth. Sjdt's training model intentionally connects studio instruction with stage experience, giving dancers the opportunity to apply their training in performance settings and develop as both technicians and artists. A major accomplishment during the year was the presentation of sjdt's 2024 production of the nutcracker, one of san jose's longstanding holiday arts traditions and a cornerstone of the organization's mission. In 2024, sjdt returned the nutcracker to a full two-weekend run of performances and again partnered with the cambrian symphony to provide live orchestral music. The production engaged a large cast of academy dancers and offered performers across multiple age groups the opportunity to rehearse and perform in a full-scale classical ballet production. Sjdt also presented its annual once upon a nutcracker student matinee, welcoming hundreds of local schoolchildren, including title i students, to a shortened educational performance designed to introduce young audiences to ballet. In spring 2025, sjdt continued its annual tradition of presenting a family-friendly story ballet with the wizard of oz, the first spring production under nicole haskins' artistic direction. The production provided additional performance opportunities for students beyond the holiday season and allowed dancers across age groups to collaborate in a large-scale theatrical production. During the year, sjdt also expanded its pre-professional opportunities through participation in ballet alliance, a network of pre-professional ballet schools that offers mentorship, performance opportunities, master classes, and scholarship access. Sjdt's studio company dancers traveled to spokane, Washington to participate in the ballet alliance festival and performed an original work choreographed by brooke wertwijn. A particularly important focus for sjdt during the year was ensuring that ballet training remained accessible to students from a range of financial backgrounds. The board of directors continued to emphasize tuition assistance and scholarships as part of the organization's commitment to equity and inclusion. Sjdt provided tuition assistance to six dancers, awarded one diversity scholarship, and supported two students through its male dancer scholarship program. Through its academy, productions, outreach, and scholarship programs, sjdt continued to provide rigorous dance education, transformative performance experiences, and expanded access to the arts for the students and families it serves.

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 100%; rating input score 100
• Program expense ratio: 85.3%; rating input score 85
• Fundraising efficiency: Limited

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
• Pay-setting controls: Limited
• Foreign activity oversight: Limited
• Grant itemization coverage: Limited
• Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
• Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

• Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
• Governance controls: 1 of 7 controls in place; rating input score 14
  • Conflict-of-interest policy: Fail
  • Whistleblower policy: Fail
  • Document-retention policy: Fail
  • CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
  • Other executive compensation review process: NotApplicable
  • Form 990 shared with the board: Fail
  • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
  • Audit committee oversight: Missing
  • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

• Operating margin: -20.8%; rating input score 9; 9th percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.04; rating input score 2; 2nd percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.27; rating input score 26; 26th percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 0%; rating input score 81; 81st percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: 10.2% per year; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: 8.4% per year; rating input score 100; 61st percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 7.6% per year; rating input score 100; 50th percentile among comparable filings