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A golden state treasure: Sacramento Ballet's sophisticated repertoire belies its size.

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Arnold Schwarzenegger might be the best known citizen of Sacramento, California, but the city's ballet company has made a significant contribution for much longer. Though often overlooked in favor of the thriving San Francisco dance scene to its west, Sacramento Ballet has amassed one of the more diverse repertoires among regional American ballet companies. Under the direction of husband-and-wife team Ron Cunningham and Carinne Binda for two decades, the company has performed an extensive selection of Balanchine repertoire, Cunningham's story ballets, and an array of work by emerging choreographers. And as Sacramento Ballet prepares to open a building in 2009 in collaboration with the city's symphony, opera, and musical theater organizations, it seems like Sacramento just might be a ballet town after all.

But what convinces Sacramento audiences to come to the ballet? "This audience wants to be moved," says dancer Eric Holzworth, "but you can't do that with just a pirouette. There has to be something behind it. Ron and Carinne know that."

The company does emphasize emotion--alongside technique. John Clifford, who frequently sets work for the Balanchine Trust on Sacramento, thinks that the quantity and quality of the company's Balanchine work draws audiences. "Audiences as a whole are pretty intelligent," says Clifford. "They know when they see Balanchine that they've seen the real deal."

Often the idea of quintessential Balanchine includes not just the choreography and some knowledge of...