Defying Expectations

As Fort Wayne Ballet approaches its 68^th season, the dance company prepares to surprise and delight audiences like never before. Its usual performance venue, the Arts United Center, is undergoing an expansion and modernization project that will compel Fort Wayne Ballet to perform in less traditional venues. Jim Sparrow, Fort Wayne Ballet Executive Director, is looking forward to the shift.

“This will be a good year to see some things people may not be expecting,” says Sparrow.

While many people think of ballet as ‘girls in tutus and tiaras,’ in reality it encompasses a broad spectrum of dance that includes nearly as many men as women. And while tutus and tiaras may feature prominently in Fort Wayne Ballet’s annual production of The Nutcracker, they play a much smaller role throughout the rest of the season. A change of venue might be just the catalyst to help people see that. 

“Ballet simply means dance in French,” says Karen Gibbons-Brown, Artistic Director. “We’re excited for people to come explore and learn more about it.” 

Fort Wayne Ballet came to life in the mid-1950s when a group of local parents sought quality ballet training for their children. Through the years, it has grown from a school to a civic ballet featuring the school’s students, and now to a professional company with paid dancers from all over the world.

“Our dancers represent places like Japan, Uzbekistan, Mexico, and of course the United States,” says Gibbons-Brown. “In fact, 25% of the company consistently comes from outside the United States, and only one of our professional dancers is originally from this area.”

Most of Fort Wayne Ballet’s growth as a professional dance company has come in the last 10 years or so. Sparrow and Gibbons-Brown have undertaken a very deliberate effort to elevate the company to prominence, and it has paid off. According to Dance Data Project’s® fifth annual study of the Largest U.S. Ballet and Classically Based Companies, Fort Wayne Ballet ranks 54^th, surpassing its in-state counterpart, Indianapolis Ballet. 

“We’ve been on a pretty aggressive trajectory in terms of creating a professional dance company,” notes Sparrow.

Dance positions with Fort Wayne Ballet’s professional company are indeed in high demand. This year, for example, just one opening garnered more than 400 resumes. The Ballet also fields a significant level of interest from choreographers who want to work with its dancers.

“The quality of our arts institutions is exceptionally high, not just for a city of this size, but overall,” says Sparrow.

In fact, last season’s performance of Dancer’s Legacy: An Evening of Stierle won a Silver Telly Award for its televised broadcast and a Bronze Telly Award for its social media promotional video. 

While Fort Wayne Ballet has become a highly respected professional dance company, it has continued to nurture its foundation in community instruction. The Ballet focuses on three mission-driven program areas: dance, education, community engagement and, of course, performance experiences. Within those three pillars, Sparrow and Gibbons-Brown are confident there is something for everyone.

In keeping with its roots, Fort Wayne Ballet offers dance instruction through The Auer Academy. Classes span the early stages of creative movement to pre-professional training, using the American Ballet Theater® National Training Curriculum. Notably, the Auer Academy of Fort Wayne Ballet is one of only six academies with fully trained, ABT-certified faculty.

“This curriculum allows us to ensure we have teachers who are not only high quality, but also understanding of appropriate child development standards,” says Gibbons-Brown.

For the broader community, Fort Wayne Ballet offers a broad spectrum of classes that range from beginning ballet and tap to physical conditioning to yoga, available on a drop-in basis for teens and adults. Summer dance camps serve ages three to adult, with no prior experience necessary. 

“You don’t have to want to be a professional dancer to study here,” says Gibbons-Brown. “You just have to want to learn to do it correctly.”

Fort Wayne Ballet also stages performances to suit all kinds of tastes. From classical ballet to contemporary productions, from sensory-friendly performances to an interactive family series, and from performances in traditional venues to the Firefly Series in local parks, Fort Wayne Ballet promises something to fit everyone’s taste. It offers a unique blend of professionalism at its highest combined with an unprecedented level of accessibility. 

“Ballet may not be what you think it is,” says Gibbons-Brown. “Come let us spark your imagination.” 

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