A great deal is happening at Roanoke Ballet Theatre.
On any day, if you peek into the windows of the storefront in Grandin Village, you’ll find a diversity of people learning and practicing the art of dance. Teaching toddling three-year-olds to the more mature dancer, Roanoke Ballet Theatre serves as the home to the School of Roanoke Ballet Theatre, the pre-professional City Youth Ballet and the professional company, the Roanoke City Ballet. In its 37 years of existence, Roanoke Ballet Theatre, or RBT, has offered a wealth of opportunities for local audiences to experience the joy that is dance.
This year RBT will present three major ballets: the fierce and passionate Dracula on October 22; the family classic, Nutcracker on December 16 and 17; and every budding princess’s favorite, Cinderella on June 10, 2017. These performances are all held at the charming Jefferson Center Shaftman Performance Hall.
Additionally, RBT is offering a new kind of performance. With its Black Box Series, the Roanoke City Ballet—the only professional ballet company in Southwest Virginia—hosts an intimate, accessible and educational look at excerpted pieces from classical ballets like Paquita, to new balletic works choreographed by William Smith, one of RBT’s professional company members.
For just five dollars, anyone can experience a taste of ballet.
Heading this amazing group of students, teachers, and performers is Ms. Sandra Meythaler, the Executive/Artistic Director of RBT. Meythaler has received international accolades as a former principle ballerina for the National Ballet of Ecuador. For the last ten years, RBT has thrived under Meythaler’s heartfelt leadership.
For Meythaler, the mission of RBT is to promote the heritage, development, and enjoyment of dance by offering outstanding and accessible recreational, pre-professional and professional level dance instruction and performances within a diverse Southwest Virginia community.
Another way RBT is keeping busy is by spreading the delight of dance to school children, retirement or nursing home residents, and hospital staff and patients through interactive outreach programs. Giving back to the community in this way is an integral part of RBT’s mission, as is offering scholarships so that financially challenged dancers can learn and grow.
Instead of peeking in the window, open the door to RBT and learn more about what this local dance center is doing.
Interested in attending a performance? Season tickets and individual tickets are available now. For more information, contact Jefferson Center at (540) 345-2550, or visit RBT at www.roanokeballet.org.
