Ballet Theatre of Maryland making Baltimore a home

  • 2016-12-02
The Ballet of Theatre of Maryland will soon be on stage at Baltimore’s Lyric Theatre to present the holiday classic ‘The Nutcracker’.

When the company appears, it will do so as the first professional ballet troupe since 1993 to make Baltimore a permanent stop in its schedule. The company is headquartered in Annapolis, where it puts on four performances per year, along with two a year in Bowie. It hopes to begin performing four times annually in Baltimore. In addition, the company tours the state, bringing dance to about 33,000 people each year.

The company has shown that it is serious about its commitment to Baltimore by sponsoring low-cost or free performances in schools, churches, and senior centers. It also sends dancers to work with students from local elementary schools.

Dianne Cuatto, the artistic director of Ballet Theatre, says outreach is the key to the company's success. She believes children are the key to the future of arts in the community.

The Washington Ballet and the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater both failed to establish a presence here, but Cuatto remains enthusiastic Baltimore's appetite for ballet.

The company performs ‘The Nutcracker’ at the Modell Performing Arts Center in four performances this weekend, December 3 and 4, at 1:00 pm and 5:00 pm both days. Companies like this can benefit by working with poster printing companies, which can create colorful placards for performances.