Ensemble

Ensemble Photos
		Artistic Director: Cathleen Huling Founder & Artistic Director Emerita: Jerre James Ballet Arts Ensemble, a nonprofit organization, was established in 1982 by Jerre James and Bette Joachimi. Cathleen Huling , who served as Ballet Mistress, became Artistic Director in 2001. (Photo by Rob Krieg) Its mission is threefold- 1)...to provide performing opportunities: BAE has danced in many different venues in the Kalamazoo area. It produces full length concerts including Autumn Gala, and Spring Celebration. Full length ballets include Aladdin’s Magic Lamp, Café Parisian, Peter and the Wolf, Red Shoes, and Cinderella, along with excerpts from classical ballets, such as Les Sylphides, Giselle, Swan Lake and Paquita. The Nutcracker Ballet is produced in its entirety every other year and features professional artists in principal roles. In 2003, BAE presented its first Nutcracker production with a live orchestra. The response to this production led to the first collaboration between BAE and the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra in presenting Nutcracker 2005, a collaboration that will be repeated with December's production of Nutcracker 2007. BAE has also performed in numerous community events including: Michigan Youth Arts Festival, Kalamazoo Junior Symphony concerts, Kalamazoo Symphony Family Discovery Series, Kalamazoo Symphony Youth Concert Series, Allegro Festival of the Arts, Festival of Trees, Kiwanis Travel Series, to name only a few. Ballet Arts Ensemble, 2005 Nutcracker Ballet (Photo by Rob Krieg) 2)...to provide educational opportunites: Membership in the Ensemble has provided dancers with guest instruction by leading teachers from the Grand Rapids Ballet, Tokyo Ballet, Western Michigan University, American Ballet Theater, Boston Ballet, Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp,again to name only a few. Every season, guest choreographers set new works on BAE members to be presented in concert. In 2002, the Ensemble Board of Directors created the W. Dale and Geraldine Crooks Scholarship to provide financial assistance each year to students who are pursuing summer dance studies. 3)...to provide outreach programs to the community: BAE has established demonstration/lectures on “Dance History” and “Dances Around the World.” It has also worked with local public art and music school teachers to provide workshops in the school, teaching dance and presenting a performance at its conclusion. BAE goes into the public schools and presents shortened versions of its full length ballets. Ballet Arts Ensemble will hold open auditions on Sunday, May 18, 2008, 2 p.m., at Ballet Arts Studio. Students must be 12 years old and girls must be on pointe. Students must also be taking at least two classical ballet classes per week in addition to Company class. The cost to audition is $15. If you are interested in auditioning, please contact Cathleen Huling, Artistic Director, at 345-3433.