Remembering Inspiration

ISB ballerinas on break from rehearsal to celebrate Mr. B's birthday.

The Indianapolis School of Ballet's Founding Artistic Director, Victoria Lyras, is a product of the School of American Ballet, founded in 1934 by George Balanchine. Dancing children's roles with his New York City Ballet in the 1970s in many ballets, some choreography set on her generation of dancers by "Mr. B", inspired her professional career. She went on to dance with the Pennsylvania Ballet, the Balanchine-based company in Philadelphia, among others. This thread of creativity passed on to her continues to live right here in Indianapolis. ISB has been honored by The Balanchine Trust to perform several of his works - Tarantella and the Grand Pas de Deux from The Nutcracker - stage by Victoria Lyras. As we observed the 107th birthday of George Balanchine on January 22, his legacy is celebrated and a new generation of young dancers is influenced by his genius.

The George Balanchine Foundation supports a comprehensive website about his life and work and maintains a Facebook page. You can find news and keep up with events about the Foundation's preservation and advancement of his life's work. 

One of the most important sections of the website is the Balanchine Catalogue which houses complete premiere information about every known work staged or choreographed by George Balanchine - more than 400 ballets, opera dances, operettas, movies, staged choral works, musicals, straight plays, concert works, television, and circus. Compiled by scholars and researchers in many parts of the world and prepared with Balanchine’s participation, the Balanchine Catalogue covers a period of more than sixty years--from La Nuit at the Petrograd Theater Ballet School, choreographed in 1920 or earlier, to a revision of Stravinsky’s Variations for Orchestra for the New York City Ballet in 1982, Balanchine’s final work.

This brilliant electronic edition of the Balanchine Catalogue, an indispensable resource for students of his work, was made possible by a leadership grant from The Jerome Robbins Foundation, with additional funding provided by the National Endowment for the Arts and Furthermore: A Program of the J. M. Kaplan Fund. The publisher and copyright holder of the book version of the Catalogue, Eakins Press Foundation, contributed the rights necessary for this project.

Continue the celebration of Mr. B's birthday and learn more about him.

Nutcracker and beyond - Coming in 2011

Indianapolis School of Ballet, The Nutcracker - photos by Freddie Kelvin

     2010 certainly ended on a high note at ISB, as shown by the sell-out audiences at all three performances December 17-19 and a terrific review in NUVO. "Indianapolis School of Ballet dancers always deliver more than expected for their age, as again witnessed at their 2010 Nutcracker with sequences that delighted us with sterling storytelling..." (Read the whole review online at www.nuvo.net/indianapolis/review-isbs-the-nutcracker/Content?oid=1949703.)
     Our guests at the Thursday Preview Performance have written glowing notes of appreciation for the holiday treat these groups enjoyed.  We are glad to have had the opportunity to host people from the Children's Bureau, Girl's Inc, assisted living residences throughout the metro area, several troops from Central Indiana Girl Scouts, Marion County Firefighters and students and families from the Indiana School for the Deaf.
     Seeing the growth of the dancers as they take on the challenges of these high-quality productions and experiencing the joy felt on both sides of the stage lights made December an exciting time here at ISB. It's exhausting for our small staff and incredibly dedicated volunteers, but so rewarding!
     We are now off to new adventures. Each semester brings new faces to the school and we look forward to their energy and experiences. Some of our dancers will be participating in the Youth American Grand Prix Regional Competition in the Indianapolis metro area on February 5 and 6. Spring performances, May We Dance (May 1) and Coppélia (May 21-22) will inspire our students to attain higher levels of understanding and technique.
     Several other events are on the slate. Our Facebook page and website will keep you up to date about upcoming classes in our continuing Dancing With the Masters series. Dates for summer programming have been announced. Visit our website for more information. Audition dates and application/registration forms will be posted in late January. The School of American Ballet at Lincoln Center and Ballet Chicago will hold auditions for their Summer Intensive programs at the Indianapolis School of Ballet studios in January 2011. SAB auditions are on Saturday, January 8 and Ballet Chicago auditions are on Friday, January 14. More information about those programs can be found on those organization's websites.
     As we reach the five year anniversary mark of the opening of the school, the organization will be taking on the necessary task of developing the next strategic plan. This process will define our direction and be our map for the next five years. The first five years are a great indication of how ISB will develop over the next five!
     Moving forward in 2011, we welcome the newest member of our staff, Judy Peters. Ms. Peters has been teaching at ISB for two years and will expand her duties serving as School Administrator. In addition to her classes, she will handle all student concerns. We are very excited to have her on the team and rely on her broad experience!