The Indiana Ballet Conservatory (IBC) recently celebrated the Grand Opening of its new studios at849 West Carmel Drive.
IBC welcomed the surrounding Hamilton county and Indianapolis community to mark the completion of its four new ballet studios complete with professional sprung flooring, new office space and dancer changing rooms, and common areas for both parents and students. Doreen Squire Ficara of the Carmel Arts Council was present for the ribbon-cutting ceremony, and delighted in welcoming a new organization to the ever-growing Carmel arts scene.
Guests of the Grand Opening witnessed a brief performance by IBC students, all of whom recently returned from representing IBC and Indiana at the Youth America Grand Prix (YAGP) NYC Finals in April, the largest international student ballet competition in the world, where IBC received the distinction of placing in the Top 12 for its ensemble, Amelie, out of 115 other ensembles from America, Brazil, Mexico, Italy, Japan, Korea, South Africa, Spain, and Switzerland (www.yagp.org). IBC’s pre-professional training program was recognized as the YAGP regional Outstanding School in 2011, and its teachers are also the recipients of the coveted Outstanding Teacher and Outstanding Choreographer awards.
The Indiana Ballet Conservatory, founded in August 2010, boasts a world-class faculty including Alyona Yakovleva, Tatiana Pali, Sergey Sergiev, and Hailey Agran. Students at IBC receive training based on the Vaganova Method, a 300-year-old foundation of excellence that has produced many of the best-known dancers, choreographers, and teachers of all time. IBC’s program fuses the finest classical ballet instruction with the very best of modern and contemporary training. Through its educational programs, performances, and community outreach efforts, IBC strives to make dance accessible wherever talent, potential, and enthusiasm exist.
With its new studios, the IBC staff and faculty are hopeful that the program and student body will continue to grow. As IBC Academy Director, Hailey Agran, explains, “having a building that now truly reflects the professionalism and quality of our teachers and training programs is representative of the countless hours that our families, staff, and Board have put in over the past six months who are all dedicated to seeing that IBC’s mission begins reaching a wider audience.”
IBC begins its Summer Session on Monday, June 4 with Summer Camps (ages 3/4, 5/6, and 7/8), Summer Evening Classes (ages 3-Adult), a one-week Summer Intensive for Young Dancers (ages 7-9), and a four-week Summer Intensive for Intermediate/Advanced students (ages 8 and up). IBC will also welcome Carlos dos Santos, Jr. for a contemporary Master Class on Saturday, July 7. For more information or to enroll, visit www.IndianaBalletConservatory.org.
