Founded in 1933, the San Francisco Ballet is the oldest professional ballet company in the United States and is regarded as one of the country's finest. It performs an eclectic repertoire of full-length, neoclassical, and contemporary ballets. Even the New York Times proclaimed, "The San Francisco Ballet under Helgi Tomasson's leadership is one of the spectacular success stories of the arts in America." The 2004 Repertory Season runs February through April; the company performs The Nutcracker each December. The San Francisco Ballet Orchestra accompanies all performances.