By Kimberly Paulk, SHARECharlotte.com, a free, easy and local website that makes it easy to learn about and engage with our local nonprofits.
There are short-cuts to happiness, and dancing is one of them. -Vicki Baum
It seems like most people either love the ballet or…just don’t know much about it. Either way, this is your chance to pick up three cool facts that will make you love our city’s ballet even more, or maybe take a look to see what you’ve been missing!
Photo credit: Peter Zay
A world class repertory dance ensemble, Charlotte Ballet has been in the national news recently as its associate artistic director, master teacher and New York City Ballet icon Patricia McBride was awarded a Kennedy Center Honor in December. But the organization, which relocated to Charlotte in 1990, is also a part of the fabric of the community in unexpected ways. Here are just a few:
– A need based and nationally recognized scholarship program called Reach makes quality dance training accessible to kids who demonstrate a natural talent for movement and the potential to be trained in dance. (Auditions take place August 3rd -7th.)
– Dance a Story workshops for little ones that promote literacy, multicultural education, kinesthetic learning and reading happen all throughout the community, and the ballet’s academy trains students from 3 to adult.
– Community dance classes are also offered for seniors, as well as for people with Parkinsons Disease.
These programs, along with extensive educational programs in local schools, make it easy to see why Charlotte Ballet is a part of what makes our city special.
Why not get involved? Check out the 2015/16 season and attend a performance (Nutcracker will be here before you know it and Little Mermaid is coming in March!), or jump on one of the opportunities below. Remember you can always visit www.sharecharlotte.com for more information.
Shop – Shop Charlotte Ballet’s #summershareCLT Wish List, where you’ll find they need everything from ballet shoes for little ones to leotards in a range of sizes.
Volunteer – join the Corps de Ballet to support the ballet during the dance season at fundraisers, special events and more.
