Ballet Vermont lands a home on the edge of Waterbury

Feb. 11, 2022  |  By Abbie Kopelowitz  |  Community News Service

Ballet Vermont Artistic Director Chatch Pregger works on putting in the studio's spring floor. Courtesy photo

Known for its Farm to Ballet summer performances, Ballet Vermont is setting up its very own studio on the edge of Waterbury.  

The nonprofit dance company is prepping space in the Commercial Drive business park at the busy intersection of Routes 2 and 100 which lies in Moretown, a stone’s throw from Waterbury and Duxbury.

Before the move, the company was using space at Green Mountain Performing Arts, the local dance studio that’s operated in the complex for over a decade. But the ballet group’s growing popularity meant it needed more room for classes and rehearsals. It’s new space is about 2,400 square feet with a studio that is 30 x 50, according to Katie Decker who has dual roles as executive director of Ballet Vermont and co-director at Green Mountain Performing Arts. 

It’s located in the same building with the longtime performing arts center alongside neighbors that include Dave’s Community Fitness and Jazzercize Waterbury, and Green Mountain Dojo Karate studio next door. 

For now, ballet classes are on hold while the new space is set up. “We’re really excited about having our own space,” Decker said of Ballet Vermont. 

The company recruits dancers from all over the state, so Decker is happy to have a studio centrally located in Vermont.

Having a studio dedicated to the ballet program will allow the team to perfect rehearsal schedules on their own terms, allowing dancers of all levels to have more opportunities to learn and perform ballet. 

“That’s pretty significant for us, to be able to build things exactly the way that we think will be effective,” she said.

If all goes as planned, the new space will open later this month. Its website lists a schedule with offerings seven days a week. This new freedom will allow Ballet Vermont to not only offer classes, but to dive into auditions and rehearsals for its trademark productions.

Rising COVID-19 case numbers led the company to call off its winter production, “Love is a Many Varied Thing,” that’s now rescheduled for next year. 

Ballet Vermont’s spring production, “Bees and Friends” is the next upcoming performance. The show telling the story of pollinators will be set to Vivaldi's “Four Seasons.”  That production will feature advanced and professional dancers with auditions scheduled for  Feb. 20 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. The company is looking for 15 classical ballet dancers for multiple performances across Vermont in May and June. 

Then on March 6 and April 3, Ballet Vermont will hold auditions for this summer’s Farm to Ballet production that will incorporate 20-25 classical ballet dancers from beginner to professional levels. Advanced dancers will audition on the March date, youth dancers in April. 

Those performances will take place outdoors in July at various farm venues as a fundraiser to support sustainable agriculture. This year the production will encourage adult beginner dancers to join. 

More information is online at balletvermont.org. 

Community News Service is a collaboration with the University of Vermont’s Reporting & Documentary Storytelling program.