The Kansas City Ballet (KCB) is an American professional ballet company based in Kansas City, Missouri.
The company was founded in 1957 by Tatiana Dokoudovska. The Kansas City Ballet steadily developed and grew under Dokoudovska (1957-1981) and her artistic director successors Todd Bolender (1981-1995) and William Whitener (1996-2013). Today, Kansas City Ballet is one of the most successful regional ballet companies in the United States.
Current Artistic Director Devon Carney joined the Kansas City Ballet in 2013. Under him and Executive Director Jeffrey Bentley, the Kansas City Ballet has grown in both size, scope, and stature, performing a combination of full-length classical ballets and story ballets, as well as contemporary works and world premieres. The KCB presents five major performances each season to include an annual production of The Nutcracker. In addition to its standard performance season, the company reaches thousands of local Kansas City students and adults each year through its award-winning school and comprehensive community engagement programs. In the 2016-2017 season, KCB grew to an all-time high with 30 company dancers, 15 second company dancers, 64 full-time and part-time staff, and a network of over 400 local volunteers.
The KCB company, its school, and its staff are all housed in, operate from, and rehearse at the Todd Bolender Center for Dance and Creativity, a totally renovated, seven-studio, office, and rehearsal facility in Kansas City, Missouri that opened in August 2011. The company performs at and is the resident ballet company at the nearby Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts, a state-of-the-art performance venue in downtown Kansas City that opened in September 2011.
In June 2017, KCB hosted Dance/USA's 9th Annual Conference, bringing dance professionals from all over the country to Kansas City, Missouri.
In late 2017, as part of its 60th "Diamond Jubilee Season", the KCB performed its new production of The Nutcracker to a national audience at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C.
History
Summer Intensive 2018 - Kansas City Ballet School Summer Intensive JUNE 18 â€" JULY 20, 2018 More information & audition dates: https://www.kcballet.org/school/summer/intensive/ -- Video filmed & edited by Elizabeth...
1957-1981 â€" Dokoudovska era
In 1957, Tatiana Dokoudovska founded the Kansas City Ballet (KCB) at the Carriage House next to the old brick Conservatory building (the old Grant Hall). On April 30, 1957, the company gave its premiere performance at the Victoria Theater (now the Lyric Theatre) with Ms. Dokoudovska serving as its first Artistic Director. The program included two ballets: Michel Fokine’s original Les Sylphides, and Ruse d’Amour, an adaptation by Ms. Dokoudovska of Fokine’s The Toys. In December of 1957, the Kansas City Ballet Company became a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization with a board of directors, business manager, and musical director.
In the 1958-1959 season, the company name changed to the Kansas City Civic Ballet.
In 1963, the company moved to a small place on 45th street near the Nelson Atkins Museum.
In 1966, guest artist Nathalie Krassovska came to Kansas City to set Anton Dolin’s restaging of Pas de Quatre on the company.
In 1967, Dokoudovska brought Shirley Weaver, a Kansas City native and former dancer with the Metropolitan Opera and the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo, to the KCB. Weaver danced major roles with KCB, choreographed, served as (honorary) ballet mistress, and taught alongside Dokoudovska at the University of Missouriâ€"Kansas City Conservatory of Music for many years.
For the company’s 10th anniversary in 1967, it performed a program at the Kansas City Music Hall featuring three guest choreographers.
In 1968, the company moved to Treadway Hall on the University of Missouriâ€"Kansas City Campus.
In April 1968, choreographer Zachary Solov began a multi-year collaboration with the KCB, coming to Kansas City to choreograph and stage two world premiere ballets with the KCB: an abstract piece set to Mozart's Symphony No. 40 and a theater ballet based on Carnival of the Animals by Saint-Saëns . The program also included performances by New York City Ballet guest artists Edward Villella and Patricia McBride.
For the opening of the 1969-70 season, Zachary Solov returned to Kansas City to create and present three world premiere ballets with the KCB: The World I Knew (set to Massenet's Scenes Alsaciennes), Zygosis, and Divertissement. Lead roles in the first piece were danced by New York City Ballet guest artists Jacques d'Amboise and Melissa Hayden.
For the spring 1970 performance, the KCB presented the ballet Laurencia, staged by guest artists Anna-Marie and David Holmes.
In 1970, the mayor of Kansas City, Ilus Winfield Davis proclaimed a special “Civic Ballet Week." During the 1970-1971 season, the company name changed back to Kansas City Ballet.
In the spring of 1971, Solov returned to Kansas City to present a program titled "Ages of Innocence" with the KCB. Solov choreographed/set two additional works for the KCB: Rhapsody and Celebration. The program also included two pieces danced by New York City Ballet guest artists Jacques d'Amboise, Melissa Hayden, Merrill Ashley, and Christine Redpath.
In 1972, the ballet hosted the first Festival of the MidStates Regional Ballet Association, with companies from eleven states gathering to take class, audition, and share their work at the Music Hall in Concert and Gala Performances. In December 1972, KCB performed its first The Nutcracker.
During the 1973-74 season, the KCB moved to a former appliance store building at 6049 Troost Avenue.
In 1975, the Lyric Theatre was designated as the season performance home for the company. In 1975-1976, a fall performance was added to the annual The Nutcracker production as well as a spring production for a three-production season. The company subsequently implemented its first sale of subscription series season tickets.
In 1976, Ms. Dokoudovska stepped down as artistic director of the Ballet to devote her time to teaching as head of the ballet department at the Conservatory of Music on the University of Missouriâ€"Kansas City campus. Former New York City Ballet dancer Eric Hyrst was named Artistic Director. That same year, KCB qualified as a member of the National Endowment for the Arts Dance Touring Program.
In 1977, the company office moved to the Prescott Firehouse in Kansas City, Kansas, an upstairs room with a fire pole in the corner. In April 1977 New York City Ballet dancer Patricia McBride performed her first full-length production of Giselle with the KCB.
In 1977-1978, the company implemented a four-production season with a Fall, The Nutcracker and two Spring shows all performed at the Performing Arts Center in Kansas City, Kansas.
In 1978 Ronald M. Sequoio was named Artistic Director. That same year the company moved yet again to a warehouse under the Broadway Bridge at 3rd and Broadway in Kansas City, Missouri.
1981-1995 â€" Bolender era
In January 1981, Todd Bolender, a renowned and long-time New York City Ballet (NYCB) dancer, teacher, and choreographer, accepted the artistic directorship of the Kansas City Ballet. His first year proved to be pivotal for the company with the introduction of major new works and the implementation of several major initiatives:
- The company’s first performance under Bolender was in May 1981 at the Kansas City Music Hall. The program includes two works he originally choreographed/created for New York City Ballet in 1955: The Still Point and Souvenirs.
- For the fall KCB performance in 1981, Bolender choreographed and staged Classical Symphony and Tchaikovsky Suite.
- Bolender premiered his full-length Nutcracker in Kansas City in December 1981. Bolender’s Nutcracker became a cherished holiday tradition in the region performed each holiday season in Kansas City for the next 30+ years.
- Also in 1981, Bolender founded the KCB School. He also hired his long-time NYCB associate Una Kai as Ballet Mistress.
- And finally, in 1981 the company moved to the Westport Allen Center. They operated out of this location for the next seventeen years.
In May 1982, Bolender saluted his mentor, George Balanchine, by presenting a four-day Balanchine Festival at the Lyric Theatre. Works performed included Serenade, Valse-Fantaisie, A La Francaix, Tschaikovsky Pas De Deux and The Firebird, with guest artists Christopher Aponte, Maria Terezia Balogh and J. Michael Dwyer.
Kevin Amey joined KCB as company manager in February 1983. During the 1983-1984 season, the company increased its performance season with 25 tour dates in five states: Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, and Wyoming.
In 1984, Bolender choreographed Voyager in collaboration with internationally acclaimed Kansas City sculptor Dale Eldred to music by Leonard Bernstein. The work used images from the Voyager mission(s).
In 1985, Michael Kaiser joined the KCB as General Manager.
In 1986, the KCB was renamed the State Ballet of Missouri and established a dual-home relationship with Dance St. Louis. The company continued to operate under this name for the next 14+ years.
In 1987, KCB debuted in New York City with four Bolender ballets â€" Souvenirs, The Still Point, Classical Symphony and Concerto in F. Bolender invited Stanley Zompakos to be Ballet Master and Victoria Fedine was appointed School Director.
In 1988, Alvin Ailey came to KCB with his ballet The River â€" the company’s first Ailey work. Also in 1988, American Ballet Theatre’s Clark Tippett stages his work Enough Said.
In 1989, KCB premiered Bolender's work Celebration, created and performed to mark the 150th anniversary of the founding of the University of Missouri. Martin Cohen joined KCB as General Manager.
During the period 1990-1996, KCB presented additional performances at Johnson County Community College with the St. Joseph Symphony.
Bolender invited James Jordan, one of Bolender's first group of dancers at KCB, to return to KCB as Ballet Master in 1991.
In 1991, KCB premiered its first work by Antony Tudor, Lilac Garden.
In 1994, Muriel Kauffman, long-time Kansas City civic leader, philanthropist, and KCB Board Chairman from 1990-1992, established a $1 million endowment for the Kansas City Ballet.
In 1994, KCB's Nutcracker sets were redesigned by Robert Fletcher (artist/designer).
Una Kai retired as Ballet Mistress in 1994.
In early 1995, KCB performed Coppelia, choreographed by Bolender. In the fall 1995, Bolender choreographed a "Tribute to Muriel" in memory of long-time Kansas City philanthropist and KCB-supporter Muriel Kauffman.
In 1995, Bolender retired at age 81. He was named Artistic Director Emeritus in 1996.
In the fall of 1996, Bolender premiered his last new work for the company, Arena, commissioned by a “Meet the Composer†grant with James Mobberley, composition professor at the UMKC Conservatory and composer-in-residence with the Kansas City Symphony.
1996-2013 â€" Whitener era
William Whitener, a veteran Joffrey Ballet and Twyla Tharp dancer, prolific choreographer, and experienced artistic director, was selected as KCB Artistic Director in the fall of 1996.
In the spring of 1997, Whitener premiered The Scarlatti Dances, the first of his many creations for the KCB. In the fall of 1997, KCB established a full-time community outreach director position.
In 1998, Jeffrey Bentley was appointed Executive Director of the KCB. In the spring of 1998, Whitener premiered two new works: Songs in the Open Air and A Midsummer Night’s Dream featuring the Kansas City Chorale and local Kansas City actor Dale O’Brien at the Midland Theater.
In 1999, the company moved to 1601 Broadway in the old NCR Building (prophetically perhaps, in 2011 this became the address of the new Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts). KCB presented Giselle, staged by KCB Ballet Mistress/School Director Karen P. Brown, and two world premiers emphasizing live music: Lila York’s Gloria which showcased the Kansas City Symphony Chorus with the Kansas City Ballet Orchestra and Ann Reinking’s Suite Kander which included a six-musician band on stage.
In January 2000, after nearly 15 years as the State Ballet of Missouri, the Kansas City Ballet reclaimed its original name. In October 2000, Whitener co-choreographed On the Boulevard with Twyla Tharp Dance colleague Shelley Freydont. The dancers perform alongside the Boulevard Big Band with Grammy-nominated guest vocalist Karrin Allyson. In May 2000, Artistic Director Emeritus Todd Bolender and four company dancers were videotaped by the George Balanchine Foundation staff in Kansas City as they worked to recreate the “lost†Balanchine ballet Renard.
In 2001, the company participated in Kansas City’s Stravinsky Festival. KCB presented two ballets by Balanchine, his masterpiece Agon and Bolender's recreation of Balanchine's Renard.
In the spring of 2002, Whitener garnered national attention and a Dance Magazine cover article with his work Six Solos, a program presenting six solo works created by the legendary choreographers Lotte Goslar, Anna Sokolow, Merce Cunningham, Agnes de Mille, Daniel Nagrin, and Michel Fokine.
In February 2003, in a collaboration with Johnson County Community College, KCB performed Merce Cunningham’s Duets, as staged by Catherine Kerr, with Cunningham in attendence.
In 2004, as part of the Balanchine Centennial Celebration and for the first time since 1987, KCB dancers were invited to New York City to perform Bolender's recreation of Balanchine's Renard in the "Wall-to-Wall Balanchine" event at the Sharpe Theatre in Manhattan.
In 2005, KCB performed Twyla Tharp’s Nine Sinatra Songs as part of the “Evening Stars†dance series at Battery Park in New York City.
Midwest Youth Ballet (now the Kansas City Youth Ballet) began its residency at Kansas City Ballet School in September 2005.
In 2006, KCB announced plans to renovate the old Power House Building at Union Station in downtown Kansas City, Missouri as its new permanent home. Whitener added the story ballet La Fille mal Gardee to the repertory and presented a second series of solo dances by master choreographers, Six Solos of Consequence II.
In January 2007, KCB made a final interim move to a former ladies apparel wholesale warehouse at 1616 Broadway. In May 2007, Whitener added Carmen to the KCB repetory.
In 2008, as part of KCB's 50th Anniversary Celebration season, Whitener added Tharp’s Brahms Paganini to the repertory as well as two world premieres, Whitener's First Position and Donald McKayle Hey-Hay, Goin' to Kansas City. That same year, KCB made its debuts at the Joyce Theatre in New York City as well as the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C.. The company also performed an extended run of Ib Andersen’s Romeo & Juliet at the Music Hall.
In 2009, Whitener continued to add to the KCB repertory with Yuri Possokhov’s Firebird, the world premiere of Artic Song by Karole Armitage, and Jessica Lang’s Splendid Isolation III.
In August 2011, after operating out of nine different locations over the course of 50+ years, the KCB moved into its new permanent home, the totally renovated (and aptly named) Todd Bolender Center for Dance and Creativity. In October 2011, KCB made its debut as the resident dance company of the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts with William Whitener’s Tom Sawyer: A Ballet in Three Acts.
Senior Staff
Executive Director - Jeffrey Bentley
Jeffrey J. Bentley is KCB's long-serving Executive Director, having been appointed KCB Executive Director in 1998. Mr. Bentley has been involved in dance and theater for over 40 years as a performer, administrator, festival director, dance presenter, teacher and consultant.
During Mr. Bentley’s twenty years with the Kansas City Ballet, the company budget has quadrupled, the dance company has grown in both size and quality and the school has grown dramatically. He orchestrated and successfully completed a $35 million capital campaign and led the effort to identify, select, renovate, and ultimate move the KCB company and organization into its first permanent home, the Todd Bolender Center for Dance and Creativity.
In 2018, the Kansas City-based Nonprofit Connect organization named Mr. Bentley the Nonprofit Professional of the Year.
Artistic Staff
Artistic Director - Devon Carney
Devon Carney became KCB’s Artistic Director in 2013. A native of New Orleans, Mr. Carney was a long-time principal dancer and Ballet Master with the Boston Ballet. He also toured extensively throughout the United States, Mexico, Europe, and Asia with ballet greats such as Rudolf Nureyev, Fernando Bujones, and Cynthia Gregory, developing an extensive national and international professional network along the way. An accomplished choreographer and teacher/instructor, Mr. Carney was most recently the Associate Artistic Director of the Cincinnati Ballet.
One of Carney's first initiatives at KCB in the fall of 2013 was the establishment of a Second Company program under the auspices of the KCB School. Carney saw the Second Company, composed of post-graduation trainees and emerging professional dancers, as an important bridge/connector between KCB's school programs and the professional company.
He choreographed and presented his first new work for the KCB, Opus I,in October 2013. In February 2014, Carney added Dracula by choreographer Michael Pink to the KCB repertory.
In March 2014, Carney introduced "New Moves", an initiative that provides young choreographers the time, space, and opportunity to work with professional dancers to create world premiere works. This unique performance event, now in its fourth year, is designed to search out, develop and showcase emerging choreographers, both from the national dance scene as well as locally within Kansas City Ballet. The most recent "New Moves" program in early 2018 included three new works by KCB dancers Emily Mistretta, Christopher Costantini, and Michael Davis, three new works by choreographers Abdur-Rahim Jackson, Mariana Oliveira, and Monique Meunier, as well as an additional piece, Fractals, reworked specifically for KCB's Second Company by KCB Ballet Master Parrish Maynard.
In December 2015, KCB unveiled the world premiere of Carney’s production of The Nutcracker to great acclaim. Nearly 35,000 people of all ages attended, marking it as the highest attended production in company history.
In February 2016, Carney added his full-length Swan Lake to KCB’s repertory. For this piece, Carney invited former American Ballet Theatre prima ballerina Cynthia Gregory to come to Kansas City to coach/work with KCB company dancers.
For the spring 2016 performance, Carney presented four modern works: Viktor Plotnikov’s new work Vesna, Yuri Possokhov’s Diving into the Lilacs, Helen Pickett’s Petal, and Adam Houghland’s Rite of Spring. For the latter work, Carney asked former New York City Ballet principal Wendy Whelan to come to Kansas City to coach the company.
KCB presented the renowned fairy tale ballet The Sleeping Beauty, choreography by Carney, in March 2017. This was followed in the fall of 2017 by Carney's full length Romeo & Juliet.
Ballet Masters - Kristi Capps and Parrish Maynard
Kristi Capps joined KCB's artistic staff as Ballet Master in 2013. A native of Charlotte, North Carolina, Ms. Capps’ ballet training included the School of American Ballet, Harid Conservatory and the University of North Carolina School of the Arts. While at UNCSA, her primary teacher was ex-NYCB ballerina Melissa Hayden. During the summers, she studied and performed with the Hungarian State Ballet School in Budapest, Hungary. Upon graduation from UNCSA, Ms. Capps joined the Atlanta Ballet for three seasons and then moved to the Cincinnati Ballet in 1996. Promoted to principal in 2002, Ms. Capps continued to dance in Cincinnati until her retirement in 2010.
Parrish Maynard joined KCB as Ballet Master in 2016. He danced with American Ballet Theatre, where he was invited to join by Mikhail Baryshnikov, and as a principal dancer at the Joffrey Ballet and San Francisco Ballet. In 2005 Mr. Maynard joined the faculty of San Francisco Ballet School. In his ten years at San Francisco Ballet, Mr. Maynard choreographed more than twenty ballets for the San Francisco Ballet School, some of which have been danced around the world including the Royal Ballet School, Royal New Zealand Ballet and National Ballet of Canada.
Music Director - Ramona Pansegrau
Ramona Pansegrau joined KCB in October 2006 as its first music director. Previously, Ms. Pansegrau served with both the Boston and Tulsa ballet companies, where she held positions as principal pianist, solo pianist, music director, and conductor, respectively. She has also served on the faculty, as music director, and/or as conductor/guest conductor for the Aspen/Snowmass Dance Festival, multiple International Ballet Competitions, the Ballet Across America Festival, the Orlando Ballet, and the Jacob’s Pillow Ballet Program.
Company
The Kansas City Ballet is an ensemble/unranked company consisting of 30 dancers. Dancers are routinely interchanged and perform multiple lead, solo, and/or corp de ballet roles within productions, as required.
Company Dancers, 2017-18 Season
Name (year joined KCB)
Company Alumni
The KCB maintains a comprehensive list of previous KCB company members since its inception in 1957. The list currently includes nearly 600 names. Every dancer contributed their talents and energy, some for a single season, some for many more. Two exceptional examples are:
- In May 2009, Christopher Barksdale retired from KCB after an illustrious 21-year dance career, having begun his training on scholarship at the Kansas City Ballet School.
- In May 2012, Kimberly Cowen retired following a stellar 20-year career with KCB. She is now a member of the KCB School Staff, overseeing the KCB School Academy Upper School as well as serving as Director of the Kansas City Youth Ballet.
Repertory
The KCB has performed 200+ works since its founding in 1957. The company maintains a complete list of works they have performed performed on their website.
The growth of the company to 30 full-time dancers and the addition of the Second Company has allowed it to expand into more and larger full-length classical works.
Recent works staged by the KCB include: Alice (in Wonderland) (fall 2014), Giselle (spring 2015); The Three Musketeers (fall 2015); Swan Lake (early 2016), Vesna, Petal, Rite of Spring (spring 2016); A Midsummer Night's Dream (fall 2016), Sleeping Beauty (spring 2017) and The Lottery (spring 2017).
Works performed and planned for the current 2017-18 season include Romeo & Juliet (fall 2017), Diamonds, The Man in Black, and Peter Pan.
School
The KCB School was formed in 1981 by KCB Artistic Director Todd Bolender. It provided pre-professional training under his personal direction and that of KCB Ballet Mistress Una Kai.
Nearly 40 years later, the school has grown and expanded dramatically, now offering a comprehensive and diverse training program for students of all ages. It operates from both the Bolender Center in downtown Kansas City, Missouri as well as a second campus in nearby Johnson County, Kansas. It received back-to-back “Outstanding School†awards at the 2017 and the 2018 Youth America Grand Prix Regional Semi-finals.
School Director - Grace Holmes
Grace Holmes joined KCB as Director of the Kansas City Ballet School in September 2014. A former soloist with the San Francisco Ballet and the Birmingham Royal Ballet, she previously served as Ballet Education Manager at the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden, London, England and more recently as a Professor of Dance at the University of Texas at Austin. While in Austin, she also served as Academy Director for the Tapestry Dance Company where she supervised a team of 25 teachers of multiple dance forms, planned and managed a summer dance program, created and coordinated outreach programs.
School Programs
The KCB School has two divisions: The Academy, which begins at age 3, and the Studio Division, for ages 12 and older.
- The Academy. The mission of the KCB School Academy is to provide excellence in dance training to a diverse body of students. Its comprehensive approach is based on the traditions of classical ballet and prepares students for the widest spectrum of opportunities within the artistic community and professional dance world. Currently, the Academy has more than 500 students, making it one of the largest ballet schools in the region. All classes are taught by KCBS’ faculty at the Bolender Center. The academy is divided into two sections: a "lower" school and an "upper" school.
- Lower School. The Lower school offers two programs. The Children’s Program, for ages 3-7, introduces children to ballet and movement while focusing on creativity and group interaction. The Primary Program, for ages 7-11, lays the foundation of more advanced classical ballet training.
- Upper School. The Upper school offers Intermediate and Advanced programs. Both programs focus on developing a student's technique, musicality, and artistry. The varied curriculum and progression of levels allows for the development of a strong, versatile dancer. The Daytime Program was introduced in 2016 as an extension of the Upper School. It offers students an opportunity to study intensively during the day. Students attend 20-25 hours of training each week including classes in all dance forms.
- Studio Division. The School’s Studio Division attracts teens and adults who wish to pursue recreational dance instruction in a supportive and encouraging setting. Classes/Programs offered include:
- Junior Studio classes are for students, ages 7-15 who are unable to commit to the number of classes per week that are required to participate in the Academy Division. These classes also provides Academy students the opportunity to augment their dance education with classes other curriculum, such as Jazz and Hip Hop.
- Studio Dance and Fitness classes are for all ages and experience levels.
- Adult dance classes and workshops are available and organized into 4 or 6 week sessions.
Kansas City Youth Ballet
The Kansas City Youth Ballet (KCYB) is a 30+ member performing ensemble for the KCB School. Originally called the Midwest Youth Ballet, it began its residency with the KCB School in 2005. KCYB is made up of dancers ranging in age from 13-18, who study under KCYB Director Kimberly Cowen and the KCB School faculty. The company presents two major performances each season and educational outreach demonstrations throughout the community, showcasing works by local and national choreographers, as well as new emerging artists.
Second Company Program
KCB’s Second Company is an emerging professionals program. It provides talented young dancers professional experience as a prelude to their moving into a professional company. Former KCB company dancer Ryan Jolicoeur-Nye is the Second Company Manager. The Second Company consists of two elements; the Trainee Program and KCB II:
- Trainee Program. The tuition-based Trainee Program was created in 2014 to develop the technical skills and artistry of young aspiring post-secondary school dancers, preparing them for a dance career by bridging the gap between the student and the professional level. Trainees participate in some company classes and have the opportunity to be considered for performances with KCB Company during the season. They also perform in tandem with the KCB II in their own educational and community outreach performances throughout the year.
- KCB II. The KCB II concept was created and implemented as a strategic initiate by KCB Artistic Director Devon Carney in the fall of 2013. It currently consists of six aspiring dancers selected from across the US. KCB II dancers hone their dance skills and gain experience in a professional environment. They serve as ambassadors for dance and KCB, reaching out to audiences and communities throughout the region through public performances, lecture demonstrations, residencies and workshops. KCB II dancers also are afforded the opportunity to perform alongside KCB’s professional company. KCB II also offers tailored community "mini-performances." for special events at private and public venues across the community. Previous events have included performances at local Kansas City art galleries, Kansas City's historic Union Station, and at the annual Kansas City Plaza Lights Ceremony.
Special Programs
In 2015, the KCB School initiated the Adaptive Dance program which provides classes for children with developmental delays.
Community Engagement and Education
KCB offers an extensive array of community engagement and education programs designed to create awareness and appreciation of ballet and to engage learners of all ages in a deeper understanding and connection to dance and the ballet art form.
Program Manager - April Berry
April Berry joined KCB as Community Engagement and Education Manager in July 2016. A former principal dance artist with the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Ms. Berry brings a wealth of talent and experience to Kansas City, having previously served as the Director of Education and Community Programs for BalletMet Columbus, and Director of Education and Outreach for North Carolina Dance Theatre (now Charlotte Ballet), where she created and developed award-winning education programs.
Educational Performances
- Matinees for Schools. KCB performs specially discounted morning matinees for schools designed to enhance interdisciplinary learning, including English language arts, social studies/history, music, and technology. Teachers receive a online multi-media study guide which includes a ballet synopsis, educational activities and resources related to performances.
- Lecture Demonstrations. KCB Second Company offers a 60-minute dance interactive program in schools, appropriate for elementary, middle, and high-school students. These programs are narrated by dancers and KCB staff and include a diverse repertoire of classic and contemporary ballets, including excerpts for KCB's current season.
Reach Out and Dance (ROAD)
- School Residency Program. The "Reach Out And Dance" (ROAD) program was created in 2000 and currently introduces 1000+ Kansas City area elementary school students each year to movement, music, and ballet. ROAD is a 12- to 24-week in-school dance residency program focused on encouraging and engaging students to have a deeper understanding and connection to dance. ROAD is taught by professional teaching artists from KCB to live music. Participation in ROAD requires no special dance clothing, shoes, or equipment for the students. The curriculum is specifically designed for 3rd and 4th grade students, introducing students to the fundamentals of dance: space, time, effort, self-discipline and cooperative learning. Weekly lessons are integrated with a school’s academic curriculum and are based on national, Missouri, and Kansas State education standards. The ROAD program culminates each year in a special "ROAD Rally" for the families of ROAD students.
- Scholarship Program. KCB's ROAD Scholarship Program was introduced in 2018 in partnership with the Missouri Public School District in Kansas City, Missouri and the Turner Unified School District in Kansas City, Kansas. This program provides 100+ select children from sixteen schools participating in the ROAD School Residency Program the opportunity to study dance twice a week during the school day at the Bolender Center. The school districts provide the students transportation to and from the Bolender Center.
Community Engagement
- Dance-A-Story. For pre-K and early elementary school students, KCB provides 45-minute "Dance-a-Story" workshop that bring stories to life through creative movement, music, and a costume show and tell.
- Master Classes. Intermediate and advanced dance students may take a class from one of KCB's master teachers or from a master guest teacher.
- Dance Speaks. The "Dance Speaks" lecture series is an adult education program offered by KCB at various community venues. It provides moderated up-close and personal looks into the creative processes of in-house and visiting choreographers and dancers working with the KCB. Specific lectures are usually connected to upcoming KCB current season performances.
- Behind-the-Scenes Tours. KCB invites community groups to tour the Todd Bolender Center for Dance and Creativity and to view company class and rehearsals. Groups also receive materials about company ballets work in progress.
- KC Dance Day. Since 2010, KCB has opened the Bolender Center to the public for the annual "KC Dance Day" event. Thousands of people from the Kansas City region come to this event each year for free dance and exercise classes as well as performances by local Kansas City dance troupes. William Whitener stated that KC Dance Day “was KC Ballet's gift to the local dance community... It was a way to support, acknowledge and generate enthusiasm for all kinds of dance in the local area."
Support Groups
BARRE KC
BARRE KC was established in 2004 as a KCB support/networking group focused on young adults and professionals interested in supporting the KCB. Members receive discounted studio classes and performance tickets, backstage tours, and invitations to special BARRE KC events.
BARRE KC sponsors the annual BARRE Soiree fundraiser. Recently this activity has been included as part of the KCB Season Announcement, an annual cocktail event held each spring. Proceeds from the BARRE Soire are used to fund scholarships for schools and students participating in the KCB Reach Out And Dance (ROAD) program.
KCB Guild
The KCB Guild can be traced back to 1961 when a group of KCB mothers created a support group for the KCB. In 1967, this group became the KCB "Women's Committee", it was subsequently renamed the "Kansas City Ballet Guild." The KCB Guild is currently a group of nearly 200 Kansas City area ballet enthusiasts who serve as advocates for dance and ballet in the Kansas City community. The KCB Guild offers social events for its members to include special behind-the-scenes presentations by guest choreographers, company dancers and staff, watch nights, receptions, luncheons, movie nights, and a book club. It also sponsors an annual student/company cast party, sponsors/funds dancer attendance at Guild events and provides holiday gifts for company dancers.
- Fundraising. The Guild conducts two major fundraising efforts each year for the KCB - the Nutcracker Boutique and the annual Ballet Ball. The KCB "Women's Committee" sponsored the first "Ballet Ball" in 1968, with Elizabeth Hard and Jan Newman as co-chairs. In 2017, the KCB Guild sponsored the KCB 60th Anniversary "Diamond Ball", raising over $300K for the KCB.
- Archive. The KCB Guild Archive Committee maintains the Tatiana Dokoudovska Library for Dance which was established in 2008. It currently houses four collections: the KCB Core Collection, Tatiana Dokoudovska Collection, Todd Bolender Collection and the William Whitener Collection. The core collection spans 1957-2012 with the bulk of the records dating after 1980. It contains records generated by the KCB Board of Directors, staff, school, guild, and individual donations from the greater Kansas City community of dancers, patrons and supporters.
Patrons Society
The KCB Patrons Society is a group of enthusiastic ballet supporters who make substantial annual donations and/or legacy endowments to the KCB. Patrons are invited to special KCB events such lunches/lectures with guest choreographers, social gatherings with company dancers, private rehearsals, and trips to dance performances.
In 2016, the KCB staff organized a week-long trip for 44 patrons and KCB staff members to Cuba to attend the 25th International Ballet Festival of Havana. Participants were offered special tours each day (including a visit to the Cuban National Ballet School) and attended IBF performances each evening.
References
Further reading
Kaiser, Michael (2008). The Art of the Turnaround: Creating and Maintaining Healthy Arts Organizations. Hanover: University Press of New England. p. 183. ISBN 9781584657354.Â
Muriel Kauffman Foundation (1995). A Salute to Todd Bolender. State Ballet of Missouri.Â
Townley, Wyatt (2001). Kansas City Ballet: The First Fifty Years. Rockhill Books. p. 51. ISBN 193346643X.Â
External links
- Official website
