A native San Franciscan, has dedicated most of her life to teaching and choreographing dance. As young as 8 years of age, Kathy dreamed of becoming a teacher of dance and director of dance productions. On her journey toward this dream, she was exposed to major ballet companies that visited San Francisco and was given the opportunity to learn hands-on experience from the greatest stars. As Kathy shares with her dancers, you cannot dance a role well without proper coaching from an experienced mentor. Kathy spent many years training in San Francisco with a teacher from the Royal Academy of Dancing, London, and with the Christensens at the San Francisco Ballet School and Company.
In 1985, many years into her teaching career, Kathy began developing an adult ballet company with the dual purposes of providing non‐professional dancers a venue in which to showcase their skills and deserving community organizations the opportunity to benefit from these skills. Their first performance took place in 1987 for the senior home at the San Francisco Jewish Community Center. Its great success inspired Kathy to officially launch Kathy Mata Ballet in 1988.
Kathy Mata serves as the company’s artistic director and primary choreographer. She enjoys creating contemporary as well as classical‐style works and prides herself on producing programs with multi‐cultural dance styles and music, combining such elements as Classical, Gospel, Afro‐Cuban, and Japanese music with Classical Ballet, Modern, Brazilian, and Chinese traditional dance, among others.
Kathy has traveled throughout the United States, giving master classes and choreographing pieces for small ballet companies. But the most important sources of joy and purpose in her life are her students and the adult, non‐professional company who has given her a reason to dance!
