Mark your calendars for June 11. That’s the date of Westchester Ballet Company’s Spring Gala, a milestone event that will not only celebrate the organization’s 75th anniversary year but also honor Artistic Directors Beth Fritz-Logrea and Jean Logrea, who are stepping into the roles of artistic director emeriti.
“They have been incomparable leaders, establishing a very high level of artistry,” says Amy Harte, WBC’s executive director. “We will officially launch the search for a new artistic director later this season.”
The event itself – open to all with pre-purchased tickets via the website – offers far more than a cocktail reception and dinner (black tie optional, with a nod to the glamour of 1950, WBC’s founding year) at Sleepy Hollow Country Club. In addition to ballet performances, speeches, and a paddle raise fundraiser, guests will hear from honoree Ingrid Silva, principal ballerina with the Dance Theatre of Harlem. Born in a favela in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Silva was a prodigy whose life was forever changed when she was invited to a ballet class at age eight. Her story and achievements perfectly reflect one of WBC’s core missions: to close the opportunity gap in access to ballet.
“We nurture incredible human beings,” comments Harte, referring to the organization’s twin pillars. Since 2021, WBC has offered ballet classes to under-represented communities through after-school programs. In four years, the number of children engaged in community outreach has grown from 15 to over 100. It is currently active in three public schools – Brookside in Ossining, Morse in Sleepy Hollow and Highview in Hartsdale.
In parallel, WBC runs a ballet company through which, over the decades, hundreds of young dancers have gained experience training and performing in its professionally produced productions. “We have approximately 100 children in pre-professional training. They perform with us in The Nutcracker, Peter and the Wolf and other repertory pieces throughout the year,” Harte explains.
“What we truly are is an educational space for young people. Ballet has difficult requirements that build a particular kind of resilience. Dancers learn to perform in front of strangers with little more than their bodies, music, choreography, and fellow dancers. It takes years of training to master ballet. In the process, we build self-confidence, strong bodies and strong minds. We encourage collaboration and empathy. We help children develop very particular communication skills that don’t involve language.
“We see the growth of a child, who starts with very little control over their body and no understanding of ballet, and after 10 years they’re able to execute the language and movement of ballet, in unison with others. The company offers its trainees the chance to use that language to tell a story on stage – whether in The Nutcracker, or Peter and the Wolf. It’s a unique space for education and enrichment. Underlying everything is our conviction that we help everyone involved become more human.”
Some WBC students pursue careers in dance, while other take different paths. Yet the skills, time-management, and discipline they have absorbed in the studio empower them in all fields. Alumnae have gone on to jobs in law, healthcare, education, physical therapy and business. And they stay connected. A strong alumnae network will be represented at the gala.
After 75 remarkable years, what lies ahead for WBC? “Our most exciting development,” Harte reveals, “is that we are opening our own independent space. We currently rent different venues for rehearsals, auditions, storage, and administration. Soon everything will come under one roof.” The exact location is still to be announced, but WBC will remain within the River Towns community.
“It’s going to be a game-changer,” Harte said. “We will have more control over our future and how we use our time and resources. We’ll be able to offer more classes and workshops to children, and also to act as an incubator for young choreographers to create new, original works. We’re envisioning a choreographer-in-residence program. We must invest in the next generation of dancers – and that means supporting young choreographers.”
The new space will also enable WBC to offer therapeutic adult ballet classes for people of all ages and abilities, becoming a cultural hub that expands its mission to nurture the mind, soul and body.
“I can hardly wait,” Harte says.
