Under the soft glow of stage lights, a group of Marin children sit wide-eyed, watching their first ballet performance. For many, it’s a moment of wonder — a spark that could ignite a lifelong love of the arts. That spark is exactly what Felicia Gaston envisioned 35 years ago when she founded Performing Stars of Marin.
“I wanted to show kids that the world was bigger than their neighborhood,” says Gaston, who started the Marin City-based nonprofit in 1990 with nothing but grit and determination. “Exposure is everything. When you give a child their first music lesson or take them to the ballet, you’re planting seeds of confidence, ambition, and the belief that they, too, belong in spaces they may not have thought were for them.”
From a Dream to a Movement
The passion behind Performing Stars began long before its founding. As a young girl growing up in Georgia, Gaston recalls peering out of her mother’s car window and seeing young white girls in ballet leotards. “I remember thinking, ‘I want to do that,’ but I knew not to ask because of the color of my skin. Can you imagine what that felt like?”
That memory stayed with her, fueling a commitment to ensure that every child, regardless of race, background, or family income, has access to the arts.
Over the years, Performing Stars of Marin has grown far beyond introducing youth to music, dance, photography, creative writing, sailing, and science-based enrichment programs. The organization secures scholarships with partner programs, organizes special field trips, workshops, and performances, and provides essential support like transportation, nutritious meals and snacks, program gear, and access to trusted coaches and mentors.
Shaping Futures, Building Confidence
For Gaston, arts education is only part of the equation. Her students also take etiquette classes, learning the kind of polished social skills she grew up with in the South. “A Performing Stars kid is well-rounded, well-behaved, and expertly cultured,” she says with pride.
In fact, Performing Stars’ kids have a solid reputation for being some of the most engaging and delightful youth in the county—which has helped Gaston, along with her own vision and sense of tenacity, to open even more doors as well as have people knocking on her door throughout Marin and San Francisco. For example, her students perform each year on Memorial Day and July 4th parades, and at the annual Marin County Fair. They take classes at Marin Ballet, the Marin Symphony and Marin Shakespeare. They participate in VIP experiences, such as seeing the Broadway version of The Lion King along with a special meet-and-greet with a few of the show’s leading actors.
According to Gaston, 95% of her program’s alumni graduate from high school; about 50% go on to college, and others pursue vocational training. All of them, Gaston says, “find their place in the world as contributing members of their community.”
Take Taniesha Broadfoot, one of the very first Performing Stars members in 1990. Broadfoot grew up in Marin City and began taking lessons with Laurie Klein at Marin Ballet when she was six. She is now 42, works in management for Mollie Stone’s Markets, and has been recognized publicly for her business leadership. She once sang the national anthem at a San Francisco Giants game, an opportunity she credits to her time in the organization. She also keeps in touch with Klein, her former ballet teacher.
“Performing Stars of Marin was my foundation,” says Broadfoot. “It was a major part of my growth, taught me confidence and gave me connections throughout the entire county,” Broadfoot says. “What I learned with them as a child has stayed with me my entire life.” Broadfoot’s children went through the Performing Stars program; one of them is studying at the Art Institute of Chicago and a second is attending school in London in the Fall.
A Lifeline for Aspiring Artists
One boy whose life trajectory was forever changed by Performing Stars is John Lam, a Vietnamese-American boy from a refugee family living in San Rafael. “Performing Stars found me at a community childcare center,” Lam recalls. “I quickly found myself interested in pursuing ballet at a very young age.”
However, both of Lam’s parents worked full time just to make ends meet, and had neither the time nor the resources to support his emerging passion. Gaston stepped in, secured a scholarship for Lam, and found volunteers to drive him to and from lessons.
Lam thrived — not only becoming a professional performer, but rising to the highest status as a principal dancer at the Boston Ballet. He is one of the only male Vietnamese-American ballet dancers in the U.S. to achieve such a feat. “Without Performing Stars, I never would have been exposed to formal dance instruction or had the resources I needed toward a career in professional dance,” Lam says.
After a 20-year career, Lam recently retired and launched his own nonprofit, Lam Dance Works, and plans to establish a Performing Stars scholarship program for promising dance students.
Looking Ahead
As part of its 35th anniversary celebration, Performing Stars will host a masquerade themed fundraiser on October 31 at the Mill Valley Community Center to bring together alumni, community supporters, and students. The event is honoring Gaston’s vision while raising funds to expand the organization’s reach. The nonprofit also hosting a special celebration on September 27 for the 6,000 alumni of the program over the entire 35 years.
Over the years, Performing Stars has grown to serve not only youth but also their families and communities throughout Marin. “We want every child to know their talents matter and that there’s a place for them in the world,” Gaston says. “Performing Stars is here to help them find their light. We meet each child where they are, but I’ll also give them a little nudge to dream bigger.”
“At the heart of our work is equity and opportunity,” she adds. “When you invest in children, you invest in the future of your entire community.”
How You Can Support Performing Stars of Marin
Performing Stars of Marin is launching a 35th anniversary capital campaign with a goal of raising $200,000 by October 31. The funds will not only invest in the next generation of children and allow the nonprofit to expand its programs and initiatives, it will also enable the organization to fund a much-needed headquarters expansion in Marin City to better support its full time staff, volunteers and students. To become a member of the Performing Stars Ambassador Circle, please visit performingstars.org or contact performingstars@icloud.com.
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Donna Berry Glass is a freelance writer in Marin who writes about family, kids and parenting, Glass is the mother to one son, one dog and a hamster named Miss Geri. When she’s not writing, trekking up steep hills in Marin or driving her kid to sports practice, she and her family spend time in their tiny cabin in Lake Tahoe. She avidly supports the California Academy of Sciences, a world class science museum and research institution, and the Institute on Aging which provides much needed services to Bay Area seniors and disabled adults. Glass is obsessed with baking the perfect loaf of banana bread, something she makes so often she no longer needs to look at a recipe card.
