Fine Arts and Culture Sol Treasures Established in 2007, Sol Treasures is a non-profit organization dedicated to bringing arts and culture related education, enrichment, and engagement to King City and Southern Monterey County. Sol Treasures serves 8,500 children and adults each year. Among our many programs are Children’s Musical Theatre, SOL-O Youth Strings Orchestra, Middle School Band, Timshel Adult Choir, Children’s Show Choir, Art-in-the-Schools, After-School Art, Art Gallery and Shop for local artists, and Enrichment Classes. We have partnerships with CHISPA Housing in Greenfield and King City as well as area schools to provide visual and performing arts classes. The Sol Treasures Gallery and Shop welcomes visitors to the 7-8 rotating exhibits each year, showcasing local artists. The gallery is enjoyed by all ages, including classrooms of area school-age children. Sol Treasures is the current King City Business of the Year, underscoring its value and capacity as a community asset.
Monterey County Dance Theatre Monterey County Dance Theatre (MCDT) was originally the Pauline Hall Dance Studio founded by the late Pauline Hall in 1958. Pauline presented the FIRST Nutcracker Ballet in the Salinas Valley and one of the first in California in 1959. The early productions were presented in operetta format with Pauline’s recorded voice telling the story over the music to small audiences. Bringing Nutcracker into the Salinas Valley and the rural town of King City was no small endeavor. At that time, quite unlike today where Nutcracker has become well known and popularized, it was quite the opposite few knew the story or music. Pauline staged full productions of the ballet in 1964 using her innate determination, natural talents and her own funds! The 50th Golden anniversary of the first performance of The Nutcracker Ballet in Monterey County was marked by her daughter Jan Harkness in December 2009 with a new staging of the Christmas classic by the students of the Monterey County Dance Theatre (MCDT). MCDT proudly continues the legacy of Pauline Hall, retaining the Nutcracker in their repertory. They studio also co-produces a spring ballet and a summer dance recital for studio dancers and our community. Past spring ballets include Cinderella, Peter Pan and Sleeping Beauty. The MCDT shares the same vision that art and dance can flourish anywhere if students are provided an opportunity to see, to learn, and to participate. Many MCDT students have gained acceptance with
premier schools such as San Francisco Ballet, Ballet West, Joffery Ballet of New York, University of California Irvine, North Carolina School of the Arts and Contra Costa Ballet. Pauline opened the creative door for her students and the legacy continues with MCDT. For more information about classes and productions visit their website at www.MontereyCountyDanceTheatre. com.
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