Carmel-based Indiana Ballet Conservatory has been able to get by with a little help from its friends.
With the financial hardships brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, IBC founding Artistic Director Alyona Yakovleva-Randall has been able to keep the operations running with donations from current students’ families and alumni’s families, along with donations from the Harlan Foundation, the Griskie Family Foundation, the Wildshore Foundation and Swan Software Solutions.
“We wouldn’t be able to survive without financial support,” Yakovleva-Randall said. “Everything we did has been very difficult for everybody. Everyone has been supportive and helpful. The faculty and staff have worked so hard to adapt to the situation. Within one week (of the shutdown in March 2020), we were able to provide full classes online on Zoom. Then we provided almost eight weeks of in-person training last summer.
“Last fall, we had curriculum and kept all students safe and healthy.”
The IBC then presented “The Nutcracker’ as a recorded performance with three different casts.
“It was great for students and everyone,” Yakovleva-Randall said.
The IBC transformed the studio into a small black box theater and cafe for performances in February and March. The performances were contemporary pieces about love and sonnets by Shakespeare. The studio set up cafe tables with linen and candles to create an intimate setting. There were about 20 guests and 10 student dancers only.
Yakovleva-Randall said it was a rare opportunity to see the classes up close and see how athletic the dancers are.
“The audience said it’s an amazing feeling when the dancers are that close to you,” she said. “It’s absolutely something we want to do again based on feedback. It’s a nice way to do fundraising.”
Yakovleva-Randall said she has secured the dates of Nov. 27-28 for “The Nutcracker” in the Palladium at the Center for the Performing Arts in Carmel.
The IBC’s eight weeks of summer intensive classes begin June 7.
For more, visit indianaballetconservatory.org.
