A V A Ballet Theatre

EDUCATING CHILDREN, TEENS AND ADULTS TO BALLET AND THE ARTS.

AFTER THE DEVASTATING YEARS OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC, WE WERE PLEASED TO BE ABLE PRODUCE OUR 2023 BALLET SEASON WITH NO RESTRICTIONS ON OUR AUDIENCES OR OUR PERFORMANCES. WE STARTED OUR SEASON OF BALLETS LAST APRIL WITH THE PRESENTATION OF FROZEN WITH TWO SHOWS. FOR THESE SHOWS, WE WERE ABLE TO PERFORM THE ENTIRE BALLET WITH A CAST OF APPROXIMATELY 50 DANCERS. WE SECURED THE RIGHTS TO SOME OF THE DISNEY MUSIC AND CHANGED THE CHOREOGRAPHY ACCORDINGLY. JASON ALTIERI CONDUCTED THE RENO PHIL. CONTINUED ON SCHEDULE OTHE SHOWS WERE AN ARTISTIC AND COMMERCIAL SUCCESS AND THE 2,399 PATRONS WHO ATTENDED THE PERFORMANCES PURCHASED $78,845 IN TICKETSOUR SECOND LARGEST NON-NUTCRACKER REVENUE IN OUR 20-YEAR HISTORY PERFORMING AT THE PIONEER CENTER. 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 16 YEARS AND EVERY THE NUTCRACKER FOR THE LAST 18 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 DANCER THOROUGHLY ENJOYED THE PERFORMANCES. INSPIRED BY THE SUCCESS OF THE ROCK BALLET, WE BEGAN REHEARSALS FOR THE CLASSIC COPPLIA SCHEDULED FOR SEPTEMBER 16TH AND 17TH AT THE PIONEER CENTER. WE WERE GOING TO PERFORM THE THREE-ACT BALLET WITH A FULL RENO PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA WITH JASON ALTIERI AS THE CONDUCTOR. WE BROUGHT IN THREE PROFESSIONAL DANCERS FROM THE MILWAUKEE BALLET FOR THE LEAD ROLES.COPPLIA ENDED UP BEING A BIG ARTISTIC TRIUMPH. WE RECEIVED MORE POSITIVE FEEDBACK FROM OUR AUDIENCES THAN ALMOST ANY BALLET IN RECENT MEMORY. UNFORTUNATELY, TICKET SALES WERE LESS THAN WE HAD HOPED. THE AUDIENCE REACTION WAS SO POSITIVE; HOWEVER, WE BELIEVE FUTURE RENDITIONS OF THIS BALLET WILL SEE AN INCREASE IN TICKET SALES. OUR HOLIDAY CLASSIC THE NUTCRACKER WENT ON SALE AT THE END OF SEPTEMBER 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 STATES BALLET WEST. THE PERFORMANCES WERE OUTSTANDING AND EACH ONE RECEIVED A STANDING OVATION. IN THE END, 5,573 PATRONS ATTENDED THE PERFORMANCES AND WE BROUGHT IN OVER $250,000 IN TICKET REVENUE. WE WERE PLEASED WITH THIS AS THE LION KING SOLD MILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN TICKET SALES HURTING MANY NON-PROFITS IN THE COMMUNITY. FORTUNATELY, OUR THE NUTCRACKER IS INCREDIBLY POPULAR. 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 2024 WITH A COMFORTABLE MONITORY CUSHION.