A V A BALLET THEATRE

WE WERE PLEASED TO BE ABLE PRODUCE OUR 2025 BALLET SEASON WITH NO RESTRICTIONS ON OUR AUDIENCES OR OUR PERFORMANCES. WE STARTED OUR SEASON OF BALLETS LAST MARCH WITH THE PRESENTATION OF PETER PANWITH TWO SHOWS. FOR THESE SHOWS, WE WERE ABLE TO PERFORM THE ENTIRE BALLET WITH A CAST OF APPROXIMATELY 50 DANCERS. CARMON DELEONE, THE COMPOSER OF THE PETER PAN SCORE AND THE MUSIC DIRECTOR OF THE CINCINNATI BALLET ORCHESTRA, FLEW TO RENO AND CONDUCTED THE RENO PHIL. IT WAS A REAL HONOR TO HAVE A COMPOSER OF SUCH STATURE CONDUCT FOR AN A.V.A. BALLET THEATRE PRODUCTION. THE SHOWS WERE AN ARTISTIC AND COMMERCIAL SUCCESS AND THE 2,079 PATRONS WHO ATTENDED THE PERFORMANCES PURCHASED $69,316 IN TICKETS. YOUR $25,000 GRANT HELPED US TO PAY FOR SOME OF THE $62,000 COST OF THE RENO PHIL. THE ORCHESTRA EXPENSES CONTINUE TO RISE PRETTY DRAMATICALLY EACH YEAR. AS WE HAVE SAID CONSISTENTLY OVER THE YEARS, A BALLET WITH A LIVE ORCHESTRA MAKES THE PRODUCTION VERY SPECIAL AND WE ARE COMMITTED TO FINDING WAYS TO PAY FOR THIS VERY EXPENSIVE PART OF OUR PERFORMANCES. WE ARE PROUD TO SAY WE HAVE HAD A LIVE ORCHESTRA AT EVERY ONE OF OUR CLASSICAL BALLETS FOR THE LAST 18 YEARS AND EVERY THE NUTCRACKER FOR THE LAST 21 YEARS. WE ARE IN FACT, THE ONLY BALLET COMPANY IN THE ENTIRE STATE (LAS VEGAS INCLUDED) THAT HAS A LIVE SYMPHONY AT ALL OF OUR CLASSICAL BALLETS. WE ARE PLEASED THAT EVEN DESPITE THE PANDEMIC, WE HAD SOME FORM OF THE RENO PHIL AT ALL OF OUR CLASSICAL PRODUCTIONS. IN MID-JULY, AS PART OF THE ARTOWN CELEBRATION, WE PERFORMED OUR POPULAR VORTEX, THE BALLET THAT ROCKS FOR TWO NIGHTS IN FRONT OF 1,600 PATRONS. THIS IS A FREE EVENT BUT THE $25,000 PRODUCTION COSTS FOR THESE PERFORMANCES ARE COVERED BY OUR TICKET SALES FROM CLASSICAL PERFORMANCES AT THE PIONEER CENTER AND OTHER GRANTS WE RECEIVE FROM THE STATE OF NEVADA AND PRIVATE FOUNDATIONS. THE CROWDS WERE VERY ENTHUSIASTIC AND OUR DANCERS THOROUGHLY ENJOYED THE PERFORMANCES. INSPIRED BY THE SUCCESS OF THE ROCK BALLET, WE BEGAN REHEARSALS FOR THE CLASSIC LITTLE MERMAID SCHEDULED FOR SEPTEMBER 20TH AND 21ST AT THE PIONEER CENTER. WE PERFORMED THE TWO-ACT BALLET WITH THE FULL RENO PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA WITH LAURA JACKSON AS THE CONDUCTOR. WE BROUGHT IN THREE PROFESSIONAL DANCERS FROM THE BALLET WEST FOR THE LEAD ROLES. THE LITTLE MERMAID WAS A BIG ARTISTIC TRIUMPH. WE HAD 1,717 PATRONS ATTEND THE BALLETS AND TICKET SALES WERE $50,013. AGAIN, WE USED 100% OF THE E.L. CORD GRANT MONEY OF $25,000 TOWARD THE $63,500 COST OF THE RENO PHIL FOR THE TWO SHOWS. OUR HOLIDAY CLASSIC THE NUTCRACKER WENT ON SALE AT THE BEGINNING OF OCTOBER AND SALES WERE BRISK FROM DAY ONE. WE BROUGHT IN EIGHT GUEST PRINCIPAL DANCERS FROM BIG CITY BALLET COMPANIES AS GUEST ARTISTS AND THEY JOINED THE LARGE LOCAL CAST FROM A.V.A. BALLET THEATRE. WE WERE FORTUNATE, ONCE AGAIN, TO HAVE DAVID HUFFMIRE COME DOWN FROM SALT LAKE CITY AND DANCE AS THE SUGAR PLUM CAVALIER. DAVID IS AN ALUMNUS OF A.V.A. BALLET THEATRE AND IS NOW A SOLOIST AT ONE OF THE MOST PRESTIGIOUS BALLET COMPANIES IN THE UNITED STATESBALLET WEST. IN MY 30 YEARS AS THE ARTISTIC DIRECTOR OF A.V.A. BALLET THEATRE, I HAVE BROUGHT IN OVER 100 GUEST PRINCIPAL DANCERS TO RENO. I HAVE NEVER SEEN A MALE DANCER GRACE THE PIONEER STAGE AS TALENTED AS DAVID. IT IS VERY REWARDING TO SEE SOMEONE WHO STARTED DANCING WITH ME WHEN HE WAS NINE YEARS OLD BECOME SUCH A SUCCESS AS A PROFESSIONAL DANCER. THE PERFORMANCES WERE OUTSTANDING AND EACH ONE RECEIVED A STANDING OVATION. IN THE END, 5,731 PATRONS ATTENDED THE PERFORMANCES AND WE BROUGHT IN $266,919 IN TICKET REVENUE. WE ALSO SOLD MORE THAN $20,000 AT OUR NUTCRACKER BOUTIQUE. AS THE NUTCRACKER TICKET REVENUE ACCOUNTS FOR ALMOST 45% OF OUR ANNUAL OPERATING BUDGET, IT IS HEARTENING TO GO INTO 2026 WITH A SMALL MONITORY CUSHION.