First State Ballet Theatre savors Middletown opportunity
MIDDLETOWN — What’s so great about being involved with ballet?
Let Joan Beatson rattle off the ways.
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First State Ballet Theatre savors Middletown opportunity
By MIDDLETOWN — What’s so great about being involved with ballet?
Let Joan Beatson rattle off the ways.
“What we’re most passionate about is ballet education because it’s so beneficial to children and everyone,” said the First State Ballet Theatre director of advancement.
“It teaches them poise. It teaches them body and spatial awareness.
“It teaches them discipline, teaches them teamwork, teaches them respect for self and others.
“It teaches them a means of expression. It’s creative, it’s fun. They make lifelong friends.
“It’s a wonderful activity that everyone should do.”
All that will be available when the theatre opens its satellite school at 727 Mapleton Ave. as early as November.
Construction of the building in the town of Whitehall, about seven miles north of Middletown, is ongoing. A groundbreaking ceremony was held Aug. 1.
For now, the theatre is conducting activities at The Dancing Lights Ballet School in Middletown. The next round of classes begin Sept. 3.
Location matters, and Ms. Beatson said the area has “lots of kids” and pointed to Lorewood Grove Elementary School and Duckling Early Center. It is also near the Whitehall Wellness Center and a La Pizzeria Metro is being built next to the theatre.
“Middletown is a thriving community with lots of young families and this location is excellent,” Ms. Beatson said. “It’s easy access from Route 1 and there’s plenty of parking.
“It’s just a wonderful community to be a part of. This is the fastest growing community in Delaware.”
Ms. Beatson described the two studios planned for the facility as “very spacious.”
The theatre, Ms. Beatson said, has received strong support from the EDiS Company, the co-developer of Whitehall.
Also, according to Whitehall founder and CEO of EDiS Company, Brian DiSabatino, in a news release, “We could not be more thrilled. From the very beginning of Whitehall, we were committed to the arts.
“We know that no great community thrives without them. And with the arts in our core, we know that the Whitehall community and the communities surrounding Whitehall will benefit for generations to come.”
Also in the release, Kristina Kambalov, co-founder and executive director of First State Ballet Theatre said, “We are thrilled and grateful for this incredible opportunity to expand our reach and make our programming even more accessible.
“FSBT is grateful for the support of EDiS, the Longwood Foundation, and the Welfare Foundation, that have made this expansion possible.”
The professional ballet company and school, based at The Grand in Wilmington, has been named in the Top 5% of U.S. Ballet Academies in a study by Northeastern University.
Established in 1999, the School of First State Ballet Theatre offers ballet training to students from age 4 through adults.
For information, visit firststateballet.org or call 302-658-7897, ext. 3851.
