This May, the Cincinnati Ballet will return with Ballet in the Park. The group's performance last fall (also free and outdoors) was so well-received that it decided to add another show to the roster.
“We were overwhelmed with the positive response to our performances at P&G Pavilion at Sawyer Point Park. Dance lovers snapped up reservations within minutes,” Victoria Morgan, Cincinnati Ballet’s artistic director, says in a release. “We are so excited to share this unique, interactive experience with the community this spring.”
The spring outdoor performance will feature dancers from the main company along with dancers from its elite Otto M. Budig Academy Professional Training Division. There will be multiple performances at Eden Park’s Seasongood Pavilion May 21-23. Social-distancing will be in place, and reservations open in early March.
The Cincinnati Ballet made the decision to shift to in-person and virtual options for the 2020-2021 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic and its ongoing effect on local and national arts programs. According to a report from Americans for the Arts, Ohio non-profit arts organizations have lost more than $32 million due to the effect of COVID-19.
Given the success of virtual productions and social-distanced outdoor performances, The Kaplan New Works Series will shift the Cincinnati Ballet’s performances to a digital experience. The series will explore the theme of “Unheard Voices.” New Works will be recorded at the Aronoff Center’s Jarson-Kaplan Theater and will stream free at cballet.org Feb. 25-28 and March 5-7, 2021.
The Ballet also decided to postpone its annual Family Series: Snow White and Cinderella to future seasons.
“Both full-length ballets require large casts of dancers and Otto M. Budig Academy students on stage to adequately tell the stories. Unfortunately, this is not possible given current health and safety guidelines,” Scott Altman, Cincinnati Ballet president and CEO, says in the same release. “We are so grateful for the community’s support as we navigate through these challenging circumstances. Our patrons are our mission and the reason our dancers perform each season.”
Learn more on Cincinnati Ballet's website.
