By Molly M. Fleming
The Journal Record 

Oklahoma City Ballet gets new space

 


OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — At the 2016 Summer Intensive, one of Oklahoma City Ballet's restrooms stopped working. More than 100 students had to be bused to different restaurants to use their facilities.

"At that time, the board and the staff realized that a capital campaign was on our horizon," said Sally Nichols Starling. "We knew it was in our future."

The 8,400-square-foot building housing the old office and studios, 7421 N. Classen Blvd., was built in 1977. At the annual summer intensives, the students ate lunch in the parking lot because there wasn't enough room for everyone inside.

OKC Ballet didn't have to spend long looking for a building. The former American Energy Partners Fitness Center at 6800 N. Classen Blvd. went on sale in November. Over the Christmas holiday, the ballet company was able to raise $4.1 million to purchase the 28,685-square-foot building, Starling said.

But OKC Ballet still has to make the gym into a ballet studio. Starling and her father, Larry Nichols, are co-chairing the ballet's capital campaign. Another $4 million needs to be raised to turn the Susan E. Brackett Dance Center into a premier ballet facility.

Starling said the ballet saved about $5 million and a few years by purchasing the former gym.

"It's rare that we could have the facility to the degree that we already have there," she said.

The Journal Record (http://bit.ly/2sOG8Xq ) reports that some work was done to the old AELP gym before the ballet company started using it June 1. The two racquetball courts are now one dance studio with a wall removed. The climbing wall is gone. The basketball goals and floor are gone. A web floor system was installed throughout the building, with more permanent dance floors to come.

Summer Intensive started June 5. This year, enrollment was capped at 200 students, but there could have been more. Next year, OKC Ballet will accept 250 young people. This year's students are from six countries and 34 states. The program now has room to grow annually, said Whitney Cross Moore, development director. And the more students that can enroll, the more income that can come in through the program.

Starling said students were especially excited to attend this year since the program is at the new space.

The Brackett Center will also have a small performance venue, where people can sit in retractable bleachers to watch a show. The OKC Ballet administration will be on the bottom floor with new office space.

"The earned income possibilities are incredible," said Moore. "It will more than double the capacity as far as classes and offerings."

This is the first time in more than 30 years that OKC Ballet has had a capital campaign, said Moore. Marketing and Public Relations Director Amy Haley said the nonprofit is explaining to donors that it wants to make its facilities better the first time and not have to have a campaign again.

There's no specific timeline for when the money needs to be raised, but the sooner the better, Haley said. The nonprofit ideally would like to have the eight studios complete before the professional company returns in August.

Part of the campaign includes money to renovate the old building into a production space, moving items from a warehouse into the building. Moore said that will save the nonprofit about $50,000 annually in storage rent. The renovation will also provide a convenient space for costume fitting.

The Brackett Center gives OKC Ballet more space to host its outreach events as well, Haley said.

She said the nonprofit is important to the city's structure, even if people aren't fans of the art. She said professional sports teams often look at a city's arts culture before relocating.

Ballet lets people see how the body should move properly, said Jo Rowan, chairperson at Oklahoma City University's Ann Lacy School of American Dance and Entertainment.

She said ballet is one of the oldest connective art forms, outside of folk dance. Ballet is engrained in all dances, from hip-hop to jazz.

"If a ballet company is in a city, it means (the residents) are able to support something that's spiritually rewarding to its citizens," Rowan said.

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Information from: The Journal Record, http://www.journalrecord.com

 

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