Ten is big. This season, Pedro Szalay is celebrating ten successful years as the Artistic Director of Southwest Virginia Ballet (SVB).
Szalay first came to Roanoke from the Richmond Ballet in 2006 for the program Minds in Motion, a school outreach program designed to teach elementary students creative movement, and was later introduced to the founder and director of SVB, Tess Post, through a connection from Richmond Ballet. Tess was leaving for New York and asked Pedro to direct the company. He has been pursuing his extraordinary visions for SVB over the last ten years.
Since taking over as Artistic Director of SVB, Szalay has created connections between other arts organizations in the valley and continues to collaborate with these organizations, such as Opera Roanoke and the Roanoke Symphony Orchestra. Outreach is something very important to Szalay and the company, and under his leadership, SVB has had opportunities to perform not only locally and nationally, but internationally as well.
When asked what he feels his biggest accomplishment has been throughout his ten years with SVB, Szalay says that his sense of accomplishment comes from seeing his dancers grow as artists and individuals and watching them go on to do great things with their lives, whether that be dancing or something else. Above all, the company’s growth is something that Szalay works hard to continue to promote. “We can always grow more and learn from different people and organizations”, he says.
Although Szalay’s accomplishments are many, he acknowledges that he is not the only one behind the company’s success. “I can have the visions and the goals, but without the support from the board or the dancers, I cannot do what I do”, he said.
Today, Szalay has successfully achieved the mission of the company: to provide free of charge, the highest quality of pre-professional training possible. “As a volunteer organization, it is amazing how much we do”, he says.
Szalay has been a key part of one of Roanoke’s most treasured traditions: The Nutcracker. Since 2006, Szalay’s primary goal has been diversity in the cast. There is a place for everyone in the Nutcracker regardless of their level of dance training, and more than 100 extras are included in the cast every year. Community involvement lies at the heart of SVB’s core. True to the mission of the company, Szalay and the board of directors work hand in hand to make all the shows available to anyone and everyone.
After ten years in the valley, SVB has seen some big changes, and made strides forward to reach its goals. SVB is a hometown company cultivating local talent to bring fine art to the area and produce excellent young dancers. Under Szalay’s guidance Southwest Virginia Ballet will continue to expand its outreach giving back to the community, and sharing the art of classical ballet with our growing city.
More information at www.svballet.org.
by Callaway Turner and Mari Hooper
