This company is the oldest professional ballet company in the United States, founded in 1933. It presents world-class productions of classic and cutting-edge dance programs housed in the elegantly ornate San Francisco War Memorial & Performing Arts Center, a building replete with molded stucco and liberal gilding. Starting with the leadership of its first artistic director, William Christensen, through its current artistic director, Helgi Tomasson, the company has maintained a dedication to technical excellence and aesthetic artistry. This was the first American ballet company to present a full-length production of 'The Nutcracker Suite' back in 1944.