Project Ballet maintains an uncompromising commitment to high quality performances.

 

Project Ballet is committed to choosing repertory and performance opportunities for our students that are relevant, inspiring, and that will appropriately challenge both the artistic and technical range of our dancers. We maintain a repertory for our advanced dancers that mirrors the work they will one day perform on the professional stage. 

 

Project Ballet seeks out opportunities to perform works by major 20th century choreographers. In 2008 and 2017 we were granted permission from Peter Martins (the former Ballet Master in Chief of the New York City Ballet) to perform his Eight Easy Pieces. In both 2010 and 2014, we were granted permission from the Balanchine Trust to perform works by George Balanchine, the first movement of his Serenade and his Valse-Fantaisie.  In 2016 we were granted permission from the Gerald Arpino Foundation to perform an excerpt from his Birthday Variations. In 2021, we were granted permission from the Taylor Dance Foundation to perform an excerpt from Paul Taylor's Airs.

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Project Ballet faculty regularly stages works from the classical ballet cannnon, including excerpts from The Sleeping Beauty, Paquita, Les Sylphides, Swan Lake, Le Corsaire, La Bayadere and Giselle. The Variation Showcase, presented each March since 2011, allows our upper level students the opportunity to prepare, rehearse and perform solo variations from the classical ballet cannon.  We also regularly hire accomplished guest choreographers to create original works on our dancers. As of 2023 we have commissioned over 125 new works from choreographers of significance. These works typically premiere in our annual mixed repertory Spring Concert each May.

 

Since 2004 Project Ballet has also premiered a series of children's story ballets that utilize every age group of student, from the preschool dancer through the advanced teen. Our children's story ballet repertoire includes Snow White, Old MacDonald, The Secret Garden, Peter and the Wolf, Carnival of the Animals and The Ugly Duckling. 

 

Project Ballet presents an annual Nutcracker performance each December, featuring a cast of over 100 young dancers from Project Ballet. Since 2019, we are proud to be the official Nutcracker of Fort Wayne's historic Embassy Theatre. 

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In 2004 Project Ballet began a Student Choreography Showcase which annually premieres original works of student choreography in a performance format that utilizes students as not only choreographers, but also as artistic and production staff. This tradition continues as we work to foster budding choreographers of tomorrow. In 2022 we expanded the choreographic opportunities available to our Advanced dancers, by adding the "24-Hour Workshop", held each June.

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In total, Project Ballet presents over a dozen performances each year, regularly serving an audience of over 5,000 patrons.