City Youth Ballet - Johnson City, TN

The spirit of Christmas comes alive December 7 and 8 when the City Youth Ballet of Johnson City debuts the Charles Dickens classic, “A Christmas Carol” at the Veterans Administration Memorial Theatre at Mountain Home. The holiday production is a treat for the entire family and tells in ballet the beloved story of Ebenezer Scrooge’s quest to know the joy of giving.

Tickets are available at Bear ‘n Friends, Party Central, the Johnson City Area Arts Council or at the door. General admission tickets are $15 for adults; $10 for children under 12. Doors open at 7 p.m. for the 7:30 p.m. performances. For more information, call 423-434-2195.

“A Christmas Carol” features the talents of some 20 dancers, all members of the City Youth Ballet’s junior and senior companies. They are led by senior dancers Anna Daught, Edith Dunbar, and Gwynn Root, who portray the spirits of Christmas past, present, and yet to come, respectively. Junior dancer Maggie Hensley carries the role of Tiny Tim.

The dancers bring to stage a spirited vitality in the opening scene a market square in London, where they are busy preparing for Christmas, only to have their revelry interrupted by the crotchety Scrooge portrayed by David Clinkscales, a Texas A & M theatre major and professional actor now studying for the ministry at Emmanuel School of Religion. Robert Kitchens, whose talents have been featured at Barter Theatre as well as a host of productions at his alma mater, Milligan College, portrays both Bob Cratchit, Scrooge’s overworked employee, and Jacob Marley, Scrooge’s deceased business partner.

“Our dancers and the professional actors have created a true gift to our community in that this entire evening will put the audience in the Christmas spirit,” says Susan Pace-White, the CYB’s artistic director, and one of the production’s producers and directors along with Traci Honeycutt.

Opulent costumes of the Victorian era are another highlight of the performance, many of them created by CYB’s wardrobe mistress, Sharon Ritchie. In addition, the colorful stage sets are being designed by local artist Peggy Root and built by CYB volunteers.

The debut marks a change in the history of City Youth Ballet and the training school, the Johnson City Ballet Academy. For 27 years, the ballet organization has presented “The Nutcracker.” A change was made this year to offer something new to audiences as well as challenge the dancers with a production that features so well the dancers’ artistry and athleticism. Already, more than 500 school children are signed up to attend the school performances and a host of senior citizen groups will attend another daytime show on December 7.

“Carnival of Animals,” a contemporary ballet featuring ballet dancers as whimsical creatures, comes to stage at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 15, at the studios of the City Youth Ballet of Johnson City, 2203 McKinley Road at the Burlington Park Mall’s South entrance off West Walnut Street. The ballet is part of CYB’s Lollipop Series, petit ballets by children and for children. Tickets are $4 at the door.

“Carnival of Animals” features ballet dancers dressed as lions, unicorns, elephants, fish, birds, and tortoises — dancing to the music of French composer Camille Saint-Saëns. Saint-Saëns wrote the composition for a private performance for his friends, but since it has become one of America’s most popular ballets.

Choreography for the local ballet was done by senior members of the City Youth Ballet under the direction of its artistic director, Susan Pace-White. The dancers are members of the CYB’s Junior Company.

For more information call the CYB at (423) 434-2195.

Jennifer Wheat, ballet mistress at the Rock School for Dance Education in Philadelphia, is again coming to the City Youth Ballet for a week-long workshop beginning Monday, August 13.

As you know, Jennifer has been a favorite for her artistry, superb teaching technique, and her love for our dancers. The workshop will focus on ballet technique. She will teach a little choreography at the very end of the workshop for all dancers to perform at a CYB family gathering on Friday, August 17 at 7 p.m. at the studio.

The workshop is open to all CYB dancers and will be held at the studio.

Schedule: Monday-Friday, 3:45-5:45

Cost: $100

The CYB so much appreciates Steve and Anne Darden for making possible this excellent opportunity for our dancers.

In the first of a series of children’s ballets, the City Youth Ballet brings to stage “Peter and the Wolf” at 11 a.m., Friday, July 6, at the CYB studio, 2203 McKinley Road, off West Walnut Street, in Johnson City. Admission is $4 at the door.

This classic children’s tale is a delight for the entire family and features the talents of CYB’s Junior Company, as well as Senior Company members, Allen Smith, who portrays Peter, and Jennifer Darden, who portrays the grandmother. For more information, call (423) 389-5524.

These children’s ballets, the Lollipop series, are petite ballets performed for children and by children. Mark your calendars for Sept. 15 for the next in the series, “Carnival of the Animals.” All proceeds from the series support the City Youth Ballet’s productions and operations.

Ballet and fitness take center stage in early June for over 100 girls from Girls Inc. as they take part in a two-week clinic hosted by the City Youth Ballet of Johnson City. The clinic, held at the ballet company’s new studio off West Walnut Street, is funded by a grant from the Johnson City Sports Foundation.

At the clinic, girls ages 5 to 11 are learning fitness and muscle-strengthening
techniques as well as being introduced to the athleticism and artistry of classical ballet. The instructors are some of the senior and junior members of the City Youth Ballet and its artistic director, Susan Pace-White.

Ms. Pace-White, a former member of the Miami Junior Civic Ballet, has taught ballet for nearly 40 years. She trains dancers for the City Youth Ballet via the Johnson City Ballet Academy, one of the oldest classical ballet schools in Tennessee. The CYB produces such ballets as “The Nutcracker” for audiences in Northeast Tennessee. As part of their training, students work on fitness and strengthening techniques.

“This clinic is a major outreach to the community and will introduce so many girls to the beauty of ballet while we have a lot of fun working on fitness techniques,” said Ms. Pace-White.

The clinic will be held June 4-15 at the CYB’s studios in Burlington Park South Mall, 2303 McKinley Road. Classes for the youngest dancers will be held at Girls Inc.

Girls Inc. is a United Way agency serving the Washington County area. The Johnson City Sports Foundation has given over $150,000 to youth organizations to fulfill its mission of distributing funds earned from operating the Johnson City Cardinals baseball organization.

Tennessee arts organizations recently had the opportunity to thank area legislators during a special reception sponsored by Tennesseans for the Arts at the Johnson City Area Arts Council offices.

During the reception, members of the City Youth Ballet board of directors – Anne Darden, Frances Powers, and Kenton Coe – were presented with a check by Tennessee legislators Jason Mumpower, Matthew Hill, and Nathan Vaughn and by Ed Gerace of the Tennessee Arts Commission.

The City Youth Ballet won a $4,000 matching grant from the Tennessee Arts Commission for its recent production of Orchestra Mice with the East Tennessee Regional Symphony.

City Youth Ballet and East Tennessee Regional Symphony

“Orchestra Mice,” a children’s story told with classical ballet and music, will be presented Saturday, Sept. 9, at 4 p.m. at the Seeger Chapel on the Milligan College campus. Admission is $5 with tickets available at the door, Bear ‘n Friends, and Party Central.

The City Youth Ballet of Johnson City and the newly formed East Tennessee Regional Symphony have joined to create this American premiere of a production already well received by audiences in Europe. This musical adventure for the entire family tells the story of a mouse family that falls upon an orchestra pit and learns about various instruments.

A school performance will be presented Friday, Sept. 8, at 10 a.m. For more information call, 202-3093. The production is made possible with a grant from the Tennessee Arts Commission.