Ballet Club at Pitt
Ballet Club is an entirely
student-run organization that accepts dancers of all levels, from first-time
beginners wanting to explore dance in college, to advanced dancers who have
been dancing since they were three. Currently, we have over 100 wonderful
dancers in our club. The main focus of Ballet Club would be our two
performances every school year. In the fall, we produce a full-length
production of the classical ballet “The Nutcracker”, which details a
winter-themed story surrounding the magic of the holiday season. In the spring,
we produce a variety show, showcasing ballet and other styles of dance, in
order to highlight our dancers in whichever styles they like to dance. This
year, our spring variety show will be a full-length, mixed repertoire
production of Alice in Wonderland.
When we put on these
productions everything you see on the stage from the dancing, to choreography,
to costumes, and production value is done entirely by our students. We love
providing our members with the opportunity to exercise their creativity and get
involved in every aspect of show production.
These performances are
very sentimental for our members, many of whom have danced ballet onstage since
they were young and others who may have never been on stage until Ballet Club.
These productions are also valuable for parents, friends, and the Pitt community
to attend as they provide the public with a free way to experience classical
ballet. We have an estimated 200 audience members at each performance. Our goal
is to provide a welcoming and affordable space for Pitt students to experience
classical ballet and other styles of dance.
Our dedication to
producing high-quality and entertaining performances as well as our desire to
keep club membership affordable means we need your help! Some of our costs
include a sound and lighting engineer, buying costumes and set pieces, as well
as renting Bellefield Hall for our productions. In order to keep the cost of
participating in the Ballet Club low, we raise money through fundraisers,
donations, and Pitt Day of Giving. We aim to keep our dues affordable to ensure
that anyone who wants to have access to dance in college is able to
participate.
Due to the vastly growing
size of our club, we are still in need of more costumes. We want every dancer
to be comfortable and look the part for the dances they have dedicated their
time to. We intend to purchase many of these costumes with Pitt Day of Giving
donations. All of the costumes and set pieces that we purchase are long-term
investments and will be reused in many future performances.
Your Pitt Day of
Giving donation will help us achieve our ultimate goal of sharing our love of
classical ballet and dance with the Pitt community!