Saint Paul Ballet

St. Paul Ballet presented three mainstage student performances in FY23, in addition to being guests on key collaborative concerts. Mainstage performances include Best of the Nutcracker at The O'Shaughnessy Theater in December 2022; Spring Showcase at The O'Shaughnessy Theater in May 2023; Opera In Motion at Hamline United Methodist Church in St. Paul with the Wolfgang Chamber Ensemble, featuring choreography by St. Paul Ballet faculty, Penelope Freeh and Helen Hatch and guest artist Darrius Strong in April 2023.

In December 2022, we provided Pay-As-Able ticketing to our Best of the Nutcracker for the first time. It resulted in almost 1,600 attendees at The O'Shaughnessy, 3x our anticipated audience! When asked about why they came, many attendees responded that the ability to pay what they could afford meant that they could bring the whole family on a budget. It was especially special to hear about our students' extended families being in attendance for the first time!

St. Paul Ballet continued to offer our renowned Pre-Professional training program for ages 7-18 to build the foundation for college-level programs or a professional career. A highlight from this program is one student who was accepted into the illustrious Pacific Northwest Ballet program. Additionally, St. Paul Ballet increased our engagement of recreational dancers and community members through targeted programs: 1.) Children's Division promotes dance as a form of play for ages 2.5-7, including classes like Parent & Me, Creative Dance, Pre-Ballet, and Twirls and Tales Camp. 2.) Extension Division reaches beyond the traditional age, experience, and ability entry points of ballet to promote life-long learning. Classes include Boomer Ballet for ages 55+ and Dance for Parkinson's.