Gala Performance to Celebrate 60 Years of Dance History in Westchester

Westchester Ballet Company has been entertaining local audiences for 60 years, making it one of the oldest community ballet companies in the United States. 

Now the group reaching a milestone—celebrating its 60th anniversary with a gala performance, "Shaping Lives Through Dance," on Saturday, April 9, 7:30 p.m. at the Performing Arts Center, Purchase College.

Over the last 25 years the premiere ballet company has been widely recognized for its professionalism and artistic excellence. The company's "Nutcracker" has showcased the talent of more than 1,000 local student dancers.

A number of these dancers have gone on to dance with professional companies, including Georgia Lathrop of Briarcliff Manor who moved to perform with the Stuttgart Ballet of Stuttgart, Germany; Carla Ranno of Briarcliff Manor who went to the Charleston Ballet Theatre; Sharyn Korey of Croton-on-Hudson who went to the Richmond Ballet; and Anna Conte of Yorktown Heights who began performing at the San Diego Ballet.

The gala performance is staged and choreographed by Beth Fritz-Logrea and Jean Logrea as they mark 25 years as artistic directors. The mixed repertory program will feature excerpts from famous ballets such as Sleeping Beauty, Graduation Ball, Promenade, Les Patineurs, Pas de Quatre, as well as the premiere of WBC's newest ballet, Bolero.

One Yorktown Heights dancer Nicole Miller, who is a junior intermediate company member, has a role in Graduation Ball. 

"Shaping Lives Through Dance" celebrates the dream Westchester resident Iris Merrick set forth in 1951 to create the county's own premiere ballet company. There will be live performances with archival footage and filmed interviews of former company members as the event will honor WBC's growth in size and reputation under the artistic vision of the Logreas, recipients of Westchester's 2009 Cab Calloway Lifetime Achievement Award.

Performances will take place on April 8 and April 9. Tickets for Saturday evening are $25 - $45 and may be purchased at the Performing Arts Center Box Office, 735 Anderson Hill Road, online at www.artscenter.org or by calling (914) 251-6200.

A special open rehearsal performance on Friday morning, April 8, at 10 a.m. offers reduced ticket prices of $12 for students and seniors and will include a full dress run-through of Saturday's evening performance and conclude with a discussion of choreography, staging, costumes and sets with the WBC's artistic directors and staff. Tickets for the open dress rehearsal are also available at the Performing Arts Center Box Office at www.artscenter.org.

The Westchester Ballet Company is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to serving as a vital cultural resource for Westchester and neighboring counties, and accessible to all segments of the community. Toward this goal, The Westchester Ballet Company offers:

• Productions that combine the masterful skills of professional dancers and choreographers with the burgeoning talents of motivated, disciplined young dancers;
• The promotion of dance awareness and appreciation within the community;
• Scholarship programs that offer much-needed financial assistance to promising young dancers;
• Masters Class programs and other educational initiatives

For more information, click here