Community Engagement Programs of The Sarasota Ballet

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROGRAMS of The Sarasota Ballet

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2021-2022 BOARD OF TRUSTEES Richard S. Johnson Chair Frank Martucci President Jonathan Strickland Coleman Secretary

Patricia Golemme Vice Chair Pat Kenny Treasurer Maureen Steiner Governance Officer

Peggy Abt Ginger Cannon Bailey Isabel Anchin Becker Paul Cantor Sandra DeFeo Lynda Doery Bill Farber Julie A. Harris Phil Lombardo

Peter B. Miller Rosemary Oberndorf Mercedita OConnor Audrey Robbins Jan Sirota Hillary Steele Chair Emerita Jean Weiller David Welle

Jean Weidner Goldstein Founder/Chair Emerita Sydney Goldstein Board Chair Emerita Dr. Bart Price Honorary Mark Famiglio Honorary

2021-2022 ADVISORY COUNCIL Ginger Cannon Bailey Trustee and Chair, Advisory Committee Maryann Armour William Chapman Jan Farber Frances D. Fergusson Marnie Grossman JoAnn Heffernan Heisen Charles Huisking Robin Klein-Strauss Peter Kretzmer Karen Lichtig Tina Lieberman Richard March Joan Mathews

Donna Maytham Linda Mitchell Dr. Joel Morganroth Virginia Peltz Kimberley A. Pelyk Marilynn Petrillo Rose Marie Proietti Richard Segall Marilyn Sellman Lois Stulberg Marcia Jean Taub Clara Reynardus de Villanueva Lisa Wicks

DIRECTORS AND PROGRAM STAFF Margaret Barbieri Assistant Director

Iain Webb Director

Joseph Volpe Executive Director

Christopher Hird Education Director Dierdre Miles Burger Assistant Education Director Lindsay Fischer Assistant Education Director Lisa Townsend DNG Program Director Teresa Masterson DNG Assistant Program Director Lauren Taylor Education Administrator Sarah Krazit Principal of The Sarasota Ballet School

CONTENTS Letter from Iain Webb and Joseph Volpe

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Dance – The Next Generation

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Joyful Movement through Parkinson’s

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Silver Swans® 7 Community Performances 8 Public School Performances & Programs

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Lectures, Tickets, & Tours

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Join Us 12

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Dear Sarasota Ballet Family, Thank you for your incredible support over the past two years. As we begin to emerge from the pandemic, we are so grateful for all that you have done for The Sarasota Ballet. We are thrilled to be live and in-person once again.

Our triumphant return to the stage in the fall of 2021 brought audiences back together in the theaters to share in the beauty of dance. Equally important is our ability to reach into the community and provide artistic enrichment for children, students, and people who would not otherwise have the opportunity to participate.

As one of the leading arts organizations in Sarasota, we recognize the need for The Sarasota Ballet to bring our community together after the challenges we have all faced in the past two years. As we recover from the pandemic, it is especially crucial for The Sarasota Ballet to provide access and opportunity to particpate in the arts through our community engagement programs.

Dance is one of the most powerful forms of human expression, and it is a powerful means of communication. Through movements of the human body, dance conveys a whole range of human emotions; tells stories; and creates a common shared experience for those who participate, as dancers and audience members alike.

As Martha Graham once said, “Dance is the hidden language of the soul.”

Since our founding in 1990, The Sarasota Ballet has been committed to providing opportunities for people of all ages and abilities to celebrate the joy of dance. From programs designed to introduce children in public schools to classical ballet, to dance and movement classes for people living with Parkinson’s, The Sarasota Ballet opens doors for people to experience dance and discover its athleticism and power for positivity in life.

With this brochure, we would like to share an update on Dance – The Next Generation and all of the programs that The Sarasota Ballet operates in the Greater Sarasota area to enrich our community and bring people together through the art of dance. We hope you will join us for some of our upcoming events and activities in the community.

Warmest regards,

Iain Webb, Director

Joseph Volpe, Executive Director 3

Dance - The Next Generation (DNG) Founded in 1990, the same year as The Sarasota Ballet, Dance – The Next Generation engages students from Title 1 schools in a comprehensive afterschool program operating 5 days a week on Tallevast Road in Sarasota.

The DNG facility houses 3 dance studios, 2 classrooms, a computer lab, and a kitchen. Starting in Grade 3 and lasting through Grade 12, the program includes dance classes, educational support, enrichment opportunities, and mentoring from dedicated faculty and volunteers.

The program has three main goals: • Introduce students to life skills and self-discipline through dance • Enable students to achieve academic and personal goals • Ensure students graduate from high school As we begin to emerge from the pandemic, Dance – The Next Generation is rebuilding the program with the following goals and objectives: • Strengthen programming for middle and high school students • Provide more opportunities for DNG students to intersect with the arts and culture community in Sarasota • Provide an additional entry point for qualified middle and high school students to join the program Dance – The Next Generation provides healthy development through dance that leads to academic and personal student success.

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We are thrilled to announce that Teresa Masterson joined the staff in the fall of 2021 in the newly created position of Assistant Program Director for Dance – The Next Generation.

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Joyful Movement through Parkinson’s The Sarasota Ballet is proud to offer Joyful Movement through Parkinson’s in partnership with Neuro Challenge Foundation for Parkinson’s. Designed for people living with Parkinson’s disease, participants enjoy an exploration into the world of classical ballet through movement, creativity, and music. Joyful Movement through Parkinson’s is a wonderful opportunity to exercise the mind and body, focusing on range of motion, coordination, and mobility.

Following a year of virtual programming and Zoom classes, Joyful Movement through Parkinson’s has resumed in-person classes. We are grateful for our growing partnership with Neuro Challenge Foundation and additional organizations serving the Parkinson’s community in the greater Sarasota area.

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Silver Swans® Silver Swans® is a dance and movement program for dance lovers ages 55 and over. Silver Swans® programs are designed to help participants maintain physical activity, improve posture and muscle strength, increase balance and coordination, and relieve stress. Silver Swans® programming includes history of ballet, choreography, and movement planned in conjunction with the current season. Silver Swans® classes are taught at local senior centers and retirement communities throughout Sarasota.

Operating a mix of virtual and in-person classes, Silver Swans® is actively engaging seniors at Senior Friendship Centers, Plymouth Harbor, and additional senior centers in Sarasota.

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Community Performances Curated performances by The Sarasota Ballet Studio Company and The Margaret Barbieri Conservatory celebrate the history of ballet and share the beauty of dance with thousands of audience members each year. Community Performances take place in local venues including libraries, senior centers, public spaces, and outdoor venues, such as Marie Selby Botanical Gardens and University Town Center.

The repertoire for the public performances is chosen to educate and inspire the audience. Traditional ballet is represented in excerpts from works such as Le Corsaire, La Bayadere and The Nutcracker. New choreography often created specially for these public performances, showcases the versatility of today’s dancers. Audiences have had the chance to experience new choreography by The Sarasota Ballet Resident Choreographer Ricardo Graziano and Company dancers Arcadian Broad and Richard House. Many of our community performances involve engaging our audience through interaction with the dancers and the chance to learn simple dance steps and mime.

These performances are free for the public and offer a wonderful introduction into the world of ballet.

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Public School Performances & Programs Each season, The Sarasota Ballet Studio Company and The Margaret Barbieri Conservatory partner with public schools in Sarasota, Manatee, and Charlotte Counties to bring dance performances and programs into schools. For the past 8 years, The Sarasota Ballet has partnered with Sarasota Public Schools to offer transportation and student matinee performances for every 3rd grade student in Sarasota County to attend a matinee performance. These performances are typically held in the Mertz Theatre at the FSU Center for the Performing Arts. This program was postponed during the pandemic and is scheduled to resume in the fall of 2022.

In December of 2021, over 1,500 students from 20 public schools in Charlotte County attended Nutcracker performances by The Sarasota Ballet Studio Company. These performances allowed children in grades 2 – 4 to experience the magic of ballet, often for the first time.

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Lectures, Tickets, & Tours The Sarasota Ballet offers free lectures, backstage tours, and free or deeply discounted tickets to The Sarasota Ballet performances providing access for people of all ages to experience The Sarasota Ballet each season.

Informative lectures by staff, critics, and ballet professionals are also offered free to participants. These lectures provide a deeper knowledge of the repertory performed by The Company. Lectures include information about the history, choreography, and dancers who have performed the repertory chosen for The Sarasota Ballet.

Working with 12 local non-profit organizations, The Sarasota Ballet offers performance tickets at little or no cost to the participants to attend main stage performances. These non-profit partners represent some of the best social service and after-school programs in Sarasota. In addition, The Sarasota Ballet offers Student Rush tickets to local colleges and universities which are available on the day of performances.

Due to the pandemic, backstage tours have been placed on hold, and are scheduled to resume in the fall of 2022.

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2021 - 2022

Community Partners CULTURAL INSTITUTIONS:

Key Chorale, Inc Marie Selby Botanical Gardens The Circus Arts Conservatory Sarasota Youth Opera Sarasota Music Conservatory

EDUCATION:

Sarasota Public Schools (5) Manatee Public Schools (12) Charlotte Public Schools (10) New College of Florida New College Children’s Center State College of Florida USF Sarasota - Manatee Visible Men Academy

PUBLIC LIBRARIES: Selby Public Library

SENIOR CENTERS:

Aviva Senior Living Plymouth Harbor on Sarasota Bay Sarasota Bay Club Senior Friendship Centers

SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS:

All Faiths Food Bank Boys and Girls Club of Manatee County Boys and Girls Club of Sarasota County Education Foundation of Sarasota County Girls Inc of Sarasota County Neuro Challenge Foundation for Parkinson’s Newtown Alive PLANit Sarasota Suncoast Black Arts Collaborative Take Stock in Children of Sarasota County Tickets for Kids Charities UnidosNow

The Sarasota Ballet is proud of the above partnerships that support the Company’s outstanding work in the community.

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JOIN US IN SUPPORTING DANCE - THE NEXT GENERATION & COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROGRAMS WAYS YOU CAN GET INVOLVED: VOLUNTEER: Each season, over 50 people volunteer to assist with DNG, Community Engagement, and The Sarasota Ballet performances. Volunteer opportunities range from mentorship, support services for students, greeters at performances, and a host of other opportunities.

SUPPORT: Join thousands of individuals, corporations, and foundations in supporting The Sarasota Ballet. Revenue from ticket sales covers only 48% of the costs associated with the performance, education, and community engagement programs.

FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT: COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROGRAMS: Christopher Hird, Education Director 941.225.6524 chird@sarasotaballet.org SUPPORT: Sara Robinson, Chief Advancement Officer 941.225.6504 srobinson@sarasotaballet.org VOLUNTEER: Lauren Stroman, Senior Development Officer 941.225.6510 lstroman@sarasotaballet.org THE SARASOTA BALLET Address: 5555 N. Tamiami Trail Sarasota, FL 34243 Phone: 941.359.0099 Website: www.SarasotaBallet.org 12

THE SARASOTA BALLET MISSON We enrich lives, captivate emotions, and strengthen community through the art of dance.

THE SARASOTA BALLET VISION To infuse our community with the highest quality and diversity of dance in America.

DIVERSITY, EQUITY, ACCESS, & INCLUSION In recognition of the importance of cultural diversity and to embrace all individuals in the beauty of dance, The Sarasota Ballet seeks to engage individuals of all languages, races, national origins, citizenships, religions, genders, sexual orientations, ages, and ranges of ability.

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