Just blocks from the ocean, City Ballet of San Diego, an internationally known ballet studio, lies smack in the middle of Pacific Beach. This year, as it nears its 2009-10 season early next month, the company looks forward to holding all its performances in one place, Spreckels Theatre. “A lot of people say you either have to go to San Francisco or New York to see a company of this caliber,” said City Ballet artistic director Steven Wistrich. “You wouldn’t expect to find that here,” he said. City Ballet has called its Garnet Avenue spot home since 1992, the same year the ballet company and school were started. Wistrich said the company made its home base in Pacific Beach because it found a dance studio there that had been vacant for a few years. In addition to holding company rehearsals at the Pacific Beach studio, City Ballet teaches classes for children, pre-professionals and adults. Wistrich said it is not a bad way to break a sweat. “The bottom line is it’s fun. Ballet is really a fun thing to do,” Wistrich said. “If you’re going to the gym, it can get pretty repetitive.” City Ballet also offers three-week summer-intensive programs for pre-professionals and students in August. These classes involve working with famous dancers and drawing dancers from around the world. As for the company side, City Ballet has permanent downtown digs for its 2009-10 season. After spending years performing around San Diego County, all the company’s shows this season will be performed at Spreckels Theatre. “In my view, it’s the best theater to showcase ballet in the entire city. Ballet just looks really, really good there,” Wistrich said. City Ballet’s season starts with the company premiere of “Giselle” on Nov. 6, 7 and 8. Wistrich said “Giselle” is a story ballet about redemption. “It’s been a favorite classic since the 1800s,” Wistrich said. “It’s one of the few romantic ballets that have actually survived through the years.” Other performances this season include “The Nutcracker,” opening Dec. 11; “Peter Pan,” March 20; and “Celebrate Balanchine,” a collection of works from famed choreographer George Balanchine, May 7. “He’s (Balanchine) considered to be probably the greatest ballet choreographer of the last century,” Wistrich said. “We have a very close affiliation with the New York City ballet and the George Balanchine Trust. We have a big following here for the Balanchine repertoire. People love seeing his choreography in San Diego.” In the spirit of Balanchine, Wistrich said City Ballet handpicks dancers for all its performances. The result is a polished on-stage product. “It’s not in any way a student endeavor. We don’t usually put students onstage,” Wistrich said. “These are people that have all been handpicked to join the company. The level is very high.”