Like many ballet companies in the U.S., Ballet Palm Beach grew out of its affiliate dance academy. Begun in 2001 by founding artistic and executive director Colleen Smith, the company has its roots in Smith’s dance school, the Esther Center, and its subsequent student troupe, Florida Classical Ballet Theatre. In 2013, the organization rebranded to Ballet Palm Beach and began solidifying its transition into a professional company. Now, it boasts a total of 18 company members and apprentices, four main-stage performance series, and a mixed repertoire featuring in-house creations and works by guest choreographers. Learn more at https://lnkd.in/eHh4zDPP 💕 📸: Ballet Palm Beach dancers Adriana Salazar, McKeely Borger, Sunny Heish, Reinhard von Rabenau, Lily Loveland, and Brittany Bonefas in "Fractured" by Gina Patterson. Photo by Janine Harris, courtesy Ballet Palm Beach. 📸: Lily Loveland and Ihosvany Rodriguez in Colleen Smith’s "Romeo & Juliet." Photo by Janine Harris, courtesy Ballet Palm Beach. 📝: Steve Sucato #balletpalmbeach #balletcompany #balletdancer Descriptions: 1) A group of six dancers in taupe leotards perform onstage in dim lighting. Three women stand on tan square boxes, while a male dancer sits on the edge of the box in the middle. In front of them a male and female dancer perform a duet. Text: Get to Know Ballet Palm Beach 2) Lily Loveland, wearing a pink nightgown, stands in profile on pointe, her feet in parallel, and does a deep backbend. Her partner, Ihosvany Rodriguez, wearing a peasant blouse and tan tights, kneels behind her and holds her by the waist as he arches back. Text: Ballet Palm Beach at a Glance / Number of dancers: 12 / Contract length: 32 weeks / Starting salary: $300/week / Performances per season: 20 / AGMA signatory: No | Website: balletpalmbeach.org 3) Text: “Be prepared to be taught and show a willingness to take direction in the audition. Have references; we always check them.” —Ballet Palm Beach founding artistic and executive director Colleen Smith
