http://www.indy.com/posts/1993 en-us Indypendence You're forgetting we DO have professional ballet in Indianapolis: The Indiana Ballet Company, connected with the Russian Ballet Academy, which has direct ties to the Kirov through many of the staff and faculty. Many of them were employed at Ballet Internationale when it folded. They've stayed here. They staged a couple of productions last year, although it was hard to tell by looking at the local media. IBC this year has staged an original Phantom of the Opera, and Nutcracker. They've just announced that The Madame Walker Theatre is their new home. The Theatre also announced it's going to expand its stage to accommodate the IBC. IBC would greatly benefit from not being lumped in with the non-professional productions. With dancers from around the world, many of whom have placed highly in competition, and with an artistic director who has won acclaim on three continents for both her dancing and her choreography, they deserve better. They also deserve better than to have community leaders giving grants to the Cincinnati Ballet to the tune of four times the Indianapolis Ballet's funding needs, and calling that action "supporting the community". I say this as the parent of one of the child dancers performing the Nutcracker with the Cincinnati Ballet. The students at The Russian Ballet Academy performed with both professional ballet companies. The need for funding for the IBC company was obvious. The dancing and choreography were terrific; the lack of much set material in the second and third acts was dealt with creatively but was still there. I don't think people realize what a gem the IBC is, with the calibre of everyone involved and their ties to a Russian ballet school that is nearly 300 years old. People from around the country send their kids to board with local families here in Indy so they can study at RBAI. It's that good. The local media could help raise awareness: no member of the media came down to the Murat this week and saw all the Russian Ballet kids and the entire families of musicians arriving for the rehearsals. No one came last week for the IBC rehearsals and performances. These were kids ages 7-12 for the Cincinnati ballet and ages 3-17 for the IBC Nutcracker. Most of the kids were local. Yet almost nothing in the media, both print and broadcast. Sun, 16 Dec 2007 15:04:53 -0500 http://www.indy.com/posts/1993#comment_8819 http://www.indy.com/posts/1993#comment_8819 Jenny Elig I love the Sugarplum Fairy. Wed, 21 Nov 2007 11:17:11 -0500 http://www.indy.com/posts/1993#comment_6363 http://www.indy.com/posts/1993#comment_6363