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Promoting the art of dancing in the south Brooklyn community is central to Covenant Ballet Theatre’s mission, and a new Ticket Sponsor Program made its debut at the February 2 Transformation dance concert. Donors were asked to sponsor a single or blocks of tickets to the performance which were then offered free of charge to organizations that serve underprivileged children and/or young adults in the neighborhood. This program sent children to the performance who otherwise would not have the opportunity to experience a live dance concert.

The response to the Ticket Sponsor Program was a hearty “bravo.” Generous individuals made it possible for 90 seats to be filled by children and young adults from four community centers, a local library, an after-school program, a junior high school, a high school and a community college, all located in south Brooklyn.

It was a joy to see the happy angelic faces of the children after the show and hear how they talked non-stop about what they had just seen. Besides verbal thank you’s and phone messages, here are a few of the written notes received from those young people and their chaperones about the concert. CBTB would like to thank all those who have donated generously to the Ticket Sponsor Program. Your contributions opened the eyes of many young hearts to the artistry and excitement of a live dance performance on stage.

“…it just confirmed that what we were witnessing was in fact a real work of art.”
Patrice Plata, Kingsborough Community College Student

"Many of our children have never been to a concert or live dance performance. They are mostly immigrants and underprivileged children in our community. The ‘Transformation’ was a great opportunity for the children to experience the wonder of dance and theater…Thank you again for a spectacular performance.”
Cheryl Kwong, Director of Asian-American Service Center of New York

“We were sitting, waiting for the spectacular show to begin. There were four pieces in all…each one was better than the one before it…I really enjoyed the show!!! Thank you again for providing me with the wonderful opportunity.”
Vera Pertsovskaya, Mark Twain I.S. 239 student

I want to thank you for giving me the best ballet show. I never been to a ballet show like that…I hope I see it again…It was lovely.”
Fatimah Dease, student from Surfside Gardens Community Center

Other
Performances
Vital to CBTB

In August 2007, Artistic Director Marla Hirokawa premiered a few movements of her Diamond Caper at the New Choreographer’s on Point works-in-progress performance in Manhattan. This performance garnered the interest of Ms. Miryam Wasserman, the coordinator of performing art presentation at the City College of Technology in Brooklyn Heights, and five months later in January, 2008 Covenant Ballet Theatre performed Revolutions in an afternoon dance showcase at the school. Dancers Rebeccah Hope Brann, Mandy Sau Yi Chan, Allison Jay and Joseph Tudisco opened the program with their usual energetic interpretation of four people caught in a circle. Other choreographers represented at the concert were Laura Ward, Lonne Moretton and Kate Thomas.

CBTB is working on exposing its programs to as wide an audience as possible and looking forward to performing the Diamond Caper and other ballets in the future at other performing art centers.

Arts-in-Education

Giving young people their first experience with dance is a special mission of the Covenant Ballet Theatre and it has been a particularly fulfilling season for the company’s AIE programs. An Orphan Train dance residency began with PS 193 4th graders in the Fall of 2007 and the company performed its beloved Orphan Train ballet to a full house of captivated 2nd grade to high school students in January, 2008. CBTB also began dance residencies in February-March 2008 at PS 194 for 2nd graders.

CBTB and Marla, as an Individual Artist, were awarded grants from the Rotunda Gallery/Brooklyn Information and Culture (BRIC) and the Regrant Program of the Brooklyn Arts Council (BAC). These grants are a collaboration of the Local Capacity Building (LCB) Regrant Program for Arts in Education which is funded by the Arts in Education Program of the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA). BRIC and BAC are the local organizations that determine the Brooklyn grant recipients. The grant awarded to CBTB is for a special needs eighth grade dance residency in East New York (PS/IS 165), and the grant awarded to Marla Hirokawa is for a second grade dance residency at PS 206.

In addition, for the first time, CBTB got involved in an afterschool program for 6-8th graders at PS 209. This afterschool program is the most ambitious residency the company has tackled. A total of five hours a week for 13 weeks are given to 12 PS/IS 209 students providing them with their first modern dance experience and to culminate in three original dances choreographed by CBTB teaching artists. The students will then perform these dances for their schoolmates, at a local nursing home and at the Brooklyn Borough President’s annual Springtime Concert Series in downtown Brooklyn. The afterschool program will provide CBTB with greater visibility in the Brooklyn community and enhance our outreach efforts in promoting the art of dancing in our neighborhood.