Ballet Wichita Inc

Ballet Wichita was founded (as Metropolitan Ballet of Wichita) in Wichita in 1973.    Our mission is to advance the art of dance through performance and education.

Our dancers audition annually in August and come from all the area studios.   We do not have our own school so the dancers continue studying with their teacher in their studio.   Our Artistic Director, Jill Landrith, teaches only the roles they will dance in our productions.  Dancers range in age from 8 through college.    Many go on to persue professional careers in dance.  The ones who choose another occupation still take the skills that they acquired at Ballet Wichita with them.     Dancers of course understand fitness and the value of taking care of their bodies, but they also develop poise and confidence and a sense of working as a team.

Our 2013 production of The Nutcracker was our 40th and takes place in Century II Concert Hall.   In addition to the two public performances on Saturday night and Sunday afternoon we produce four abbreviated performances and bus in 5,500 elementary-age school children annually.   Many times this is their first exposure to a professionally-produced ballet.

As the only ballet company on the Kansas Arts Touring Roster for many years, we have toured Nutcracker throughout the state.    In 2014 we are booked to perform at the McPherson Opera House and are waiting to hear about an additional venue.

In June, we produce Ballet in the Park.   This year we will be staging Peter Pan in five outdoor venues in Wichita and surrounding communities.   This is a gift to the area, as they are free.

In 2012 we launched the first Ballet Wichita 5K Art Run.   This year's event will take place at 8:00 a.m. on Saturday, June 21.  The race starts at the corner of Douglas and Waco and goes west to Delano clock tower and down Sycmore to connect with the bike path near Waco and Second.   Entertainment and artists are stationed throughout the course and in A Price Woodard Park after the race ends - they help us celebrate all of the arts, not just dance.    At the end of the race all participants have the option to participate in a "hands on" art project.   For the first two years we featured Rachel Kice, a well-known painter and perfermorance artist.   She guided the runners and walkers to a large billboard canvas and they painted the canvas with their feet.    This year we are featuring a former Wichitan, Julie Buller Hamm and they project will be painting on silk.

Ballet Wichita is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization governed by a volunteer Board of Directors and a staff of four.