North Carolina Dance Theatre receives $50,000 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act grant from the National Endowment for the Arts. Grant is supporting NC Dance Theatre 2

North Carolina Dance Theatre is recognized for its energetic performances and extensive scope, ranging from classical ballet to bold contemporary works. The Company performs a home season in Charlotte, tours nationally and spends its summers performing in New York at the Chautauqua Institute. The Company’s tagline is “performing – inspiring – educating” and it is Dance Theatre’s second company, NC Dance Theatre 2, that takes a lead in educating and engaging the local community in the joys of dance.

In July 2009 the National Endowment for the Arts awarded a $50,000 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act grant to NC Dance Theatre. The grant is supporting NC Dance Theatre 2, a group of six young professional dancers. Without funding for this group, NC Dance Theatre would be unable to continue its education and outreach programs, offer as many family-friendly ballets or perform the mixed repertoire of classic and contemporary works for which it is renowned. “This group of dancers is vital to our education and outreach programs, as well as to the grand ballet productions of Cinderella and Nutcracker,” says Douglas Singleton, executive director. “The NEA’s American Recovery and Reinvestment Act ensures the continued employment of the second company.”

Directed by Mark Diamond, NC Dance Theatre 2 participates in outreach activities such as Dance Friendships, a partnership with local African-American liturgical dance groups. The group also recently conducted the educational components of the 2009 American Masterpieces tour, bringing professional dance to rural, low-wealth areas throughout North Carolina. With Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools significantly cutting its funding for the arts, the second company is one of the Dance Theatre’s most powerful tools in sharing the arts with the Charlotte community.

In addition to serving as Company ambassadors through education and outreach residencies and performances, the second company members are also integral to Dance Theatre’s versatile repertoire and wide appeal. The second company performs lead roles in the Matinee Magic Series’ storybook ballets, which serves Dance Theatre’s largest audience group: households with children under 10. The dancers also fulfill various corps de ballet roles, and they are the only viable replacements when dancers of the first company are injured. Receiving continued training and mentorship from artistic leadership and the first company, the second company provides a vital well from which to draw burgeoning talent. In fact, three of the current first company dancers are former members of Dance Theatre 2.