Maryland Youth Ballet is “Shining In The Spotlight” with its 2013 Gala

Entire District 20 State Delegation & Catherine Leggett serving as Honorary Co-Chairs

By Courtney Shirley 

The Maryland Youth Ballet (MYB) will be “Shining In The Spotlight” on Saturday March 2 as the non-profit dance institution hosts its 2013 gala at the Silver Spring Civic Building to spotlight its award-winning programs and community contribution.

Montgomery County’s First Lady, Catherine Leggett and the entire Maryland District 20 delegation (Senator Jamie Raskin, Delegate Sheila E. Hixson, Delegate Tom Hucker and Delegate Heather R. Mizeur) are all serving as Honorary Gala Committee Co-Chairs.

Bethesda-based jazz band Chaise Lounge will be the entertainment for the evening. The night will also feature dinner, drinks, dessert, dancing, a 50/50 raffle, and live and silent auction items.

Two MYB programs, bringing the joy of movement to children who may never have the opportunity otherwise, will especially benefit from this year’s gala: 

1. Music & Motion: The only program of its kind in the United States, MYB’s Music & Motion is a dance class for children with physical disabilities such as cerebral palsy. With the use of a custom-designed and installed suspension system, these children are able to stand, dance, and twirl without the use of their walkers or wheelchairs.
2. JumpStart: This MYB outreach program offers free, after-school ballet classes at local elementary schools and a free week-long, all-day summer dance program at MYB for children who cannot afford these classes, but may have the potential to be successful dancers in the future.

MYB is truly a unique and outstanding resource in the community and dance world for the following reasons:

• The non-profit currently trains more than 1,600 students age 2 to 80+ years
• For 42 years, MYB’s core mission has been to prepare young dancers for a career in dance by providing the highest quality of classical ballet training.
• MYB is nationally known for placing its graduates among the top classical ballet companies in the world, with alumni currently dancing with American Ballet Theatre (ABT), New York City Ballet, Joffrey Ballet, Pennsylvania Ballet, and Mark Morris Dance, to name just a few.
• Student dancers present professional quality performances throughout the year reaching an audience of more than 15,000.
• In addition, MYB offers dance classes to adults of all ages, some of whom have been dancing with MYB for decades.
• All of these programs are taught by MYB outstanding professional faculty who had careers with ballet companies and now share their experience and wisdom at MYB.

The gala is an exciting opportunity to dress up, enjoy dinner and dance while supporting MYB's nationally acclaimed ballet school.

Event Details:

When:           Saturday March 2, 2013 6:30 – 10:00 PM

Where:          The Great Hall at the Silver Spring Civic Building

                     One Veterans Place, Silver Spring, MD 20910

Tickets:         $150 Individual Event Ticket, $250 Special Discount for 2

     $250: Individual Donor Ticket (includes special donor listing in program book) 

                     $150: Donate a Gala Ticket for a MYB faculty member to attend

Table Sponsorships:  $1,500 - $5,000: Please contact Alyce Jenkins for more information.

Click Here for ticket purchasing information!  

ABOUT MARYLAND YOUTH BALLET   

Since 1971, the mission of MYB has been to provide the highest caliber of training and performance opportunities to prepare young dancers for a career in the performing arts as well as to provide classes to dancers of all ages and levels in the community.

The MYB children’s program puts deliberate emphasis on pre-professional achievement with each level carefully crafted to provide the most comprehensive training and coaching in order to produce the high quality dancer that MYB is known for. MYB alumni are currently performing with such notable companies as American Ballet Theatre, New York City Ballet, Joffrey Ballet, Oregon Ballet, Sacramento Ballet, and Orlando Ballet, among others.

The MYB adult program, spanning levels from basic beginner through advanced, enjoys the same faculty as the children’s program, offering our adults the finest teachers of ballet, stretch, and classical core conditioning in the region.

MYB currently has more than 850 children and youth enrolled in its programs plus more than 700 adults taking classes weekly.

For more information about MYB visit: www.marylandyouthballet.org

Charitable donations to MYB may be made online at: http://www.marylandyouthballet.org/support-2/individual-giving/ or by contacting the MYB office at: 926 Ellsworth Drive
Silver Spring, MD 20910
or calling 301.608.2232.