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The Rockbridge Ballet has announced that it has been awarded a General Operating Support Grant from the Virginia Commission for the Arts.
This state funding acknowledges the ballet’s impactful contributions to Virginia, Rockbridge County, and its citizens, said a spokesperson.
The Virginia Commission for the Arts (VCA) is the state agency dedicated to investing in the arts across the commonwealth of Virginia. Supported by the General Assembly and the National Endowment for the Arts, the VCA invests millions of dollars annually in communities across Virginia.
As a nonprofit organization, The Rockbridge Ballet provides a nurturing and creative environment for students and promotes the arts throughout the region, said a spokesperson.
Jessica Pyatt Martin was named artistic director in 2009 and the organization entered a phase of “explosive development,” said the spokesperson. Its school, TheStudio for Dance & the Arts, serves over 200 students and its pre-professional company is comprised of 30 members. Advanced and intermediate students are eligible to audition for The Rockbridge Ballet. Company dancers are often accepted to esteemed programs for advanced study and collegiate study.
“We are honored to fund and to recognize those supporting a vibrant Virginia. We know – and the data proves – that the arts serve an integral role to positively impact communities and the greater state,” said Virginia Commission for the Arts Executive Director Margaret Hancock.
The Rockbridge Ballet Board Secretary Melissa Greer stated, “The Rockbridge Ballet is proud to accept this award from the VCA. This funding will go a long way in assisting the Rockbridge Ballet in its mission to provide an exceptional dance education for our local youth.”
