#PurpleStateChallenge part two. Ohio is my home state and you’ll see I choose a hometown favorite that I continue to be impressed by.

Cincinnati Ballet

Mission: 

“To inspire hope and joy in our community and beyond through the power and passion of dance.”

Why I choose this group:

There are two things that drew me to choosing the Cincinnati Ballet. First, I grew up volunteering and watching this ballet company. I sold nutcrackers and stuffed envelopes and daydreamed about being up on that stage as I twirled around my living room. The second came this past holiday season when the Cincinnati Ballet was the first company to have a special needs dancer in the Nutcracker. Through their Ballet Moves program which partners with Cincinnati Children’s Hospital to offer classes to students with Down syndrome and Cerebral Palsey taught by faculty and physical therapists. It’s a heartwarming story about opening the joy of ballet to everyone.

These two things drew me in but after looking a little bit closer it was clearly a fantastic choice. The company has 1 of 5 women artistic directors and has a program to encourage female leadership as well as a young professionals group. They have educational programs including dance classes for all levels and ages, in-school visits, and study guides. Plus they have a world class Ballet company. They show that the arts can be a vital and important part of the community. Ballet is no longer political and brings people together through beauty and joy of movement.

Check them out:

You can donate and watch clips here –

Website | www.cballet.org  Facebook | @CincinnatiBallet  Twitter | @CincyBallet YouTube | WatchCBallet

---

 

Don’t forget to let me know of awesome organizations in your state.