HICKORY BALLET AND PERFORMING ARTS

HBPA SERVES PRE-PROFESSIONAL AND RECREATIONAL STUDENTS BY OFFERING WEEKLY PERFORMING ARTS CLASSES, INCLUDING CLASSICAL BALLET, POINTE, JAZZ, TAP, MUSICAL THEATRE, TURNS AND LEAPS, CONTEMPORARY, BALLROOM, AND VOICE. APPROXIMATELY 200 STUDENTS ARE ENROLLED IN INSTRUCTIONAL CLASSES, AND SCHOLARSHIPS ARE AVAILABLE TO DANCERS IN NEED OF FINANCIAL SUPPORT. HBPA ALSO REACHED UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES THROUGH A STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP WITH CENTRO LATINO, PROVIDING SCHOLARSHIPS TO HISPANIC/LATINX STUDENTS AND SPANISH-LANGUAGE SUPPORT FROM STAFF.

STUDENTS PARTICIPATED IN FOUR MAINSTAGE PRODUCTIONSWE ARE MONSTERS, THE NUTCRACKER, ALICE IN WONDERLAND, JR, AND CINDERELLAWITH CAST SIZES RANGING FROM 20-90 CHILDREN AND YOUTH. THESE PRODUCTIONS REACHED APPROXIMATELY 4,500 AUDIENCE MEMBERS THROUGH PUBLIC AND SCHOOL-BASED PERFORMANCES. SCHOOL MATINEES OF THE NUTCRACKER SERVED OVER 1300 STUDENTS AND EDUCATORS, AND SOUTHWEST PRIMARY SCHOOL HOSTED A FREE IN-SCHOOL PERFORMANCE OF WE ARE MONSTERS FOR 245 STUDENTS. PUBLIC PERFORMANCES REACHED AN ADDITIONAL 3000 AUDIENCE MEMBERS ACROSS ALL FOUR PRODUCTIONS. ADDITIONAL PERFORMANCES INCLUDED THE HICKORY DOWNTOWN ASSOCIATION ART CRAWL AND OKTOBERFEST. IN JULY, APPROXIMATELY 50 SUMMER CAMPERS ENJOYED REHEARSING AND PERFORMING BEETLEJUICE JR. DURING A WEEK-LONG CAMP IN COLLABORATION WITH THE HICKORY COMMUNITY THEATRE. HBPA VOLUNTEERS DONATED OVER 1085 HOURS TO HELP BRING OUR PRODUCTIONS TO LIFE. IN ADDITION TO THE FACULTY AND STAFF, HBPA CONTRACTED WITH 20 ADDITIONAL ARTISTS, INCLUDING 4 VISUAL ARTISTS FROM FULL CIRCLE ARTS, 1 PERFORMING GUEST ARTIST FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA SCHOOL OF THE ARTS FOR CINDERELLA, 6 GUEST TEACHERS, AND 1 STUDENT INTERN FROM UNCSA.