Arts enthusiasts everywhere will be delighted to hear about a new mentoring program for aspiring conductors that will help change the face of how live symphonic music and ballet co-exist around the globe. Ballet conducting programs are essentially unheard-of and for this reason, violinist, John Stubbs of the San Diego Symphony and music director for California Ballet Company (CBC), has launched "Conducting Preparations," a unique mentoring program designed to inspire young music artists in pursuing the art of ballet conducting.

As an art that is rarely taught, there are a limited number of skilled ballet conductors around the world. When ballet companies must hire a conductor of the symphony or opera due to challenges in finding an experienced ballet conductor, the dance companies become vulnerable to a guest conductor who may be less inclined to accommodate their dancers' needs because of the necessity to adjust the music tempos to the needs of the dancers and choreographers.

The passionate few experienced ballet conductors work closely with the dancers to gain a clear understanding of their needs to ensure that the timing of the music is perfectly synchronized with every dance movement. Many seasoned ballet conductors share that they find the ballet to be the most challenging and invigorating form of conducting.

Stubbs serves as CBC's conductor during their annual "Nutcracker" at the Civic Theatre and is married to Prima Ballerina, Denise Dabrowski. Inspired by the ballet in both his private and professional life, he took to the ballet barre for a year and a half to better understand what it's like for the dancers to perform to various tempos. The experience proved to be invaluable to Stubbs' ability to read the dancers and accurately anticipate their timing with the music.

Under Stubbs' "Conducting Preparations" program, students are mentored one on one for approximately two years. The program starts with the conducting basics and leads up to the challenge of rehearsing in the orchestra pit with the San Diego Symphony during CBC's "Nutcracker" production rehearsal. "The Nutcracker" is an ideal music score for teaching, as it challenges the student and requires knowledge of the most essential conducting techniques. Part of the training also includes working directly with the dancers to discuss appropriate music tempos. Stubbs shares, "My approach to teaching conducting is much like my approach to performing music. My natural tendency leans toward the intuitive rather than the analytical. I observe and discuss with my students what I feel works for them rather than having a rigid set of guidelines. It's very much an improvisatory process."

Conductor John Stubbs Photo © & courtesy of Brad Matthews

Conductor John Stubbs Photo © & courtesy of Brad Matthews

John Stubbs mentoring pupil William Zauscher Photo © & courtesy of Brad Matthews

John Stubbs mentoring pupil William Zauscher Photo © & courtesy of Brad Matthews