Greensboro Ballet facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Greensboro Ballet |
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| General information | |
| Name | Greensboro Ballet |
| Local name | Greensboro Ballet |
| Previous names | Greensboro Civic Ballet, Civic Ballet Theatre |
| Year founded | 1964 |
| Principal venue | Carolina Theatre of Greensboro Greensboro United States |
| Website | Greensboro Ballet |
| Senior staff | |
| School director | Nina Bass Munda |
| Artistic staff | |
| Artistic Director | Christine Cervino Grider |
| Other | |
| Associated schools | The School of Greensboro Ballet |
| Formation |
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The Greensboro Ballet is a professional ballet company located in Greensboro, North Carolina. It also has a special school called the School of Greensboro Ballet, which helps young dancers train to become professionals. This ballet company is the only one of its kind in the Piedmont Triad area. It is also one of the few non-profit ballet companies in North Carolina.
The Greensboro Ballet has performed famous ballets by George Balanchine. They have also shown many new ballets created just for them. These new works were made by talented choreographers like Rick McCullough and Emery LeCrone. Maryhelen Mayfield was a director for the company from 1980 to 2019. She created over twenty-five ballets for the Greensboro Ballet.
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The History of Greensboro Ballet
The Greensboro Ballet started in 1964 as the Greensboro Civic Ballet. At first, it focused on giving local dancers a chance to perform each year. In the 1970s, the group changed its name to Civic Ballet Theatre. They also started a ballet school.
Elissa Minet Fuchs, a dancer who had performed with the Metropolitan Opera Ballet, became the artistic director for a year. In 1980, she brought in Maryhelen Mayfield to lead the company. Under Mayfield's guidance, the company grew. It became the first "Honor Company" in North Carolina. This is the highest level of membership in the Southeast Regional Ballet Association. The company then changed its name to Greensboro Ballet. Professional dancers joined the company in 1995.
The Greensboro Ballet often performs with live music. They have danced with the EMF Young Artists Orchestra and the Greensboro Symphony. While they mainly perform in Greensboro, they have also toured to other cities in North Carolina.
In 2017, a dancer named Lauren Dorn made history. She was the first African-American dancer to play the role of the Sugar Plum Fairy in the company's The Nutcracker show.
In November 2019, new leaders took over the Greensboro Ballet. Jennifer Savage Gentry became the Executive Director. Nina Bass Munda became the School Director. Christine Cervino Grider was hired as the Artistic Director in 2022.
During the COVID pandemic in 2020, the Greensboro Ballet found a creative way to perform. They filmed their holiday show, The Nutcracker, at the Carolina Theatre. Then, they showed the film at a "Nutcracker Drive-In" in the Greensboro Coliseum parking lot. This allowed dancers to perform safely. It also helped other local businesses.
That same year, the ballet created a special online show called A Benefit for Healthcare Heroes. They offered this performance for free to over 10,000 healthcare workers.
In 2022, famous guest artists performed in The Nutcracker. These included Megan LeCrone and Alicia Mae Holloway, who both danced the role of the Sugar Plum Fairy.
Popular Performances
The Greensboro Ballet has performed many different ballets over the years. Some of their popular shows include:
- Cinderella
- Coppélia
- Dracula
- The Firebird
- Giselle
- A Midsummer Night's Dream
- The Nutcracker
- Muttcracker, a fun version of The Nutcracker that includes live dogs on stage!
- Serenade
- The Sleeping Beauty
- Snow White
- Swan Lake
- Mozartiana
- Les Sylphides
- Valse Fantasia
The School of Greensboro Ballet
The School of Greensboro Ballet is a special part of the company. It is one of the few non-profit schools in the Piedmont Triad that teaches classical Russian ballet. It is also the only school in Guilford County where students can learn Balanchine choreography. The school is located in the Greensboro Cultural Center.
John Dennis was the Director of The School of Greensboro Ballet from 1986 to 2019. He was a former dancer for the Dallas Ballet. Nina Bass Munda, a former principal dancer with the Greensboro Ballet, took over as director after him.
The school gets support from parents through a group called the Ballet Resource and Volunteer Organization (BRAVO). BRAVO helps students by raising money and providing volunteers. They assist students, teachers, and staff at the school.
Famous Alumni
Many talented dancers have trained at the School of Greensboro Ballet. Some of them include:
- Kara Medoff Barnett, who is now a director at the American Ballet Theatre
- Katie Digby, who started her own dance company called Digby Dance
- Emily Byrd Lawrence, a meteorologist at WGHP
- Megan LeCrone, a soloist with the New York City Ballet
- Emery LeCrone, a well-known choreographer and dancer
- Brandon Alley, a dancer with BalletBC
Notable Teachers
The school has also had famous dancers as teachers, such as:
- Elissa Minet Fuchs, who danced with Ballet Russe de Monte-Carlo and the Metropolitan Opera Ballet
- Maryhelen Mayfield, who was a dancer with the Kansas City Ballet
Community Programs
The Greensboro Ballet offers many programs to share the art of ballet with the community. These programs reach people throughout Greensboro and North Carolina. Some of them are:
- Build-a-Ballet Program: This program helps create an original dance work at a different public school in Guilford County each year.
- City Dance: The company visits elementary schools to teach ballet and movement classes. They offer scholarships to promising students for the School of Greensboro Ballet.
- Dancing Above the Barre: This program is for students with disabilities. It allows them to enjoy dance classes.
- Dance in the Schools (also called DITS): The company performs at elementary schools in the Triad area. They teach children about classical ballet.
- Out on the Town series: The company performs in community centers, schools, and theaters in areas that might not often see ballet.
- First Friday: Every first Friday of the month, the Ballet Company takes part in the First Friday festival in downtown Greensboro.
- Annual shows: Local schools can attend performances at the Carolina Theatre for a very low cost or even for free.
The Greensboro Ballet also gives free tickets to other non-profit organizations.
