About the Company
Our Mission
The mission of the South Georgia Ballet is to enrich the quality of life in southwest Georgia by expanding the cultural opportunities available to all of its citizens. A regional youth ballet company, SGB emulates the curriculum and commitment of a pre-professional training program, develops and produces original performing arts productions, and reaches out to a diverse community with education and performing arts enrichment experiences.
We especially strive to bring classical ballet and other dance forms to audiences of all ages and socio-economic levels.
Professional Instruction
Under the direction of Melissa June, Executive, Artistic Director and Outreach Education Director, company dancers are given professional instruction and are exposed to classical repertory. Company dancers receive further training with regional and national instructors and choreographers including Emily Loftiss, Tyrone Brooks, Suzanne Farrell, Jane Wood, Orialis Serrano, Kevin Martin, Nicolas Pacana, Pamela Robinson-Harris, Peter Swan, Fiona Fairrie, and Margaret Severin Hansen.
Guest instructors and master classes enrich the company class schedule, which involves additional weekly classes and Saturday rehearsals. South Georgia Ballet made its first guest appearance in Albany Ballet Theatre’s The Nutcracker in December 1998 and continues to bring excellence in dance performances and training to our community.
Creating Dancers
South Georgia Ballet is a regional ballet company founded in 1998. The South Georgia Ballet company is designed to provide additional training and challenging performing opportunities necessary for the serious dancer. Dancers aged 9-18 audition each Spring and Fall for the upcoming year and come from a seven-county area in South Georgia and North Florida. The Company season includes three shows, including The Nutcracker, Fuse (a Winter collaborative performance event), and an original ballet each Spring. Past performances have included The Lion, The Witch, The Wardrobe, Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, Alice in Wonderland, Beauty and the Beast, and Peter Pan.
South Georgia Ballet is a public charity that is exempt from federal and state income tas as an organization described in the Internal Revenue Code section 501(c)(3). Please visit our link at “Support” for more information on contributing to our organization.
Community Outreach
The Company also provides the community with a strong Outreach Education program including Step UP! dance classes in Thomas and Colquitt counties, school matinee performance of The Nutcracker, the Backstage Experience program and collaborates with the Thomasville Center for the Arts to present an ArtReach program. South Georgia Ballet has also started Special Steps, a dance class designed for students with Special needs. Students from both City and County schools come to SGB for weekly classes.
We have also partnered with CASA and Necco to provide deserving Foster Care students with classical dance lessons amongst their peer group. These special dancers are able to perform at the end of the year and receive a full scholarship. They are beaming with pride when they dance onstage just like everyone else!
Our Sponsors
We could not continue to provide excellence in dance training and performance opportunities without the support of our community.
