Twin City Ballet Company Vital to Cultural Scene in Ouachita Parish
culture, dancers, twin city ballet, twin city ballet company,
In Northeast Louisiana‚ aspiring ballet dancers have one very important stop on their journey to a professional career – the Twin City Ballet Company.
Thanks to generous local support‚ the 30-year-old dance company has been able to offer the most talented dancers in the area a chance to train and perform with professionals.
Barbara Kline‚ Twin City Ballet marketing and public relations director‚ says many go on to join professional dance companies or become choreographers and dance instructors.
“We are preparing our dancers for the real world‚” Kline says.
Made up of three artists-in-residence‚ 20 senior members‚ and many junior and apprentice members‚ the Twin City Ballet draws dancers from 11 dance studios in a 14-parish area. Many of the studios belong to former students of the company’s artistic director‚ Linda Lavender Ford.
“If someone had told me before we started the company that it wasn’t possible‚ it wouldn’t have mattered to me‚ because I believe in the company so much‚” says Ford‚ who has been teaching dance for 45 years. “It’s why I’m here.”
Today‚ Ford still teaches at the Linda Lavender School of Dance in concert with her work at the company. She also commissions professional instructors to work with the dancers on a regular basis.
“They come in and teach all disciplines of dance – classical ballet‚ modern dance‚ ethnic dance‚ tap and jazz‚” Kline says. “Most dancers must know all of these disciplines today.”
Throughout the year‚ the company of dancers is able to polish their skills while performing for the community. The performance season opens each year with a holiday show.
“We performed for 18‚000 children last year at the Christmas show‚” Kline says. “We also use people from the community to fill extra parts. People who never thought they would be on stage loved it.”
In the spring – against a backdrop of a manmade lake and natural gardens – the company takes the stage at the Kiroli Park Amphitheater in West Monroe to perform “Ballet Under the Stars‚” an event made possible through the City of West Monroe and the Northeast Louisiana Arts Council.
“During ‘Ballet Under the Stars‚’ the egrets fly in and land on the water during the performance‚” says Northeast Louisiana Arts Council Executive Director Tommy Usery‚ who also helped develop the show. “It’s just gorgeous.”
“Were it not for the ballet‚ area residents would have to travel to Shreveport or Jackson for performances of this world-class caliber‚” Usery adds. “The ballet company is an integral part of the cultural scene in Northeast Louisiana.”
Story by Emily Lansdell
