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| Ballet Austin's Free Day of Dance |
| Written by Danté Dominick | |
 Get ready for Come Dance! 2008 Quick. Say the first thing that pops in your mind when you hear “ballet school.” Don’t think about it…just whatever comes to mind. Was it hip-hop? Hula dancing? A fun, social outing? If it was none of the above, it might do you well to get to know the Butler Community School at Ballet Austin. And this Sunday is the perfect time to do so, with a free open house celebration that should easily be the biggest dance party in Austin again this year.  Kids get into the action with Pre-Ballet As condominium projects sprout like bean stalks around it, residents are taking full advantage of the wide range of activities the dance center offers, from early morning pilates to early evening yoga, and of course, a lot of dance. “We’ve seen as much as a 200% increase [in enrollment] per month,” confirms Vicki Parsons, Managing Director of Schools. Adding that the popularity is in large part due to word-of-mouth. It seems exuberant new attendees are passing on the word as if they unearthed a great treasure—or, perhaps, Ponce de Leon’s famed Fountain of Youth. “We have someone [taking classes] who is 93,” says Parsons. All of the classes offered during Come Dance! 2008 are offered throughout the year. “We’re trying to put as many different styles and different types of classes out there so people can sort of do a sampler,” Pirner says.  Yoga at the community school Last year’s grand opening party attracted 2500 people, packing the studios for the free classes, and the Butler Community Dance School took this momentum and pas de deux-ed with it. The flexible schedule has allowed even the busiest adults to stay involved. Classes aren’t structured as a continuous series spread over time; people can come as often as they want to, whenever they want (cost is $10-$17, depending upon payment in advance). While a major component of the growth has been opening the world of dance to newcomers, the direct crossover with the professional ballet company is the driving energy. The dance center is also home to the Ballet Austin Academy. If your insta-response to the opening quiz included tutus, serious training, and little girls with their hair in a bun trying to spin on one toe, this is what you were thinking of (OK, the tutus are a bit of a stretch). The Academy is Ballet Austin’s professional track school, where students train in classical ballet. Sometimes starting as young as three-years-old, those who stick with it receive training capable of taking them to ballet companies worldwide. In addition to the Academy, Ballet Austin’s Second Company and even the First Company (the dancers you’ll see at the Long Center performances) rehearse in the same building, their glass-walled studios open for all to see. For someone taking one of the beginning, intermediate, or expert classes at the community school, this is the equivalent of joining a rec softball league and sharing the field with the New York Yankees. Only, whereas Derek Jeter would be unlikely to give you batting lessons, some of the professional ballet dancers teach classes in the community school.  Broadway Fit class from Come Dance! 2007 Everyone is invited to sample the excitement during Come Dance! 2008, this Sunday, September 7. In addition to the free festivities (class schedule here ), the box office will be open for Ballet Austin’s upcoming 2008/2009 season, as well as passes for community classes. |
