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Staś Kmieć Returning to Ballet Western Reserve
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio -- The board of directors of Ballet Western Reserve announced today that its artistic director, Virginia Hartman, is leaving BWR, and that renowned dancer and choreographer Staś Kmieć will return to BWR as artistic director.
“For the past three and half years, Virginia has served as an able ambassador for BWR, establishing an artistic vision for the organization that will serve us well moving forward,” said Sabrina Shapiro, board president. “We wish her well in her next challenge. And with Staś back at the helm, I know that we will not miss a beat moving forward. The energy and excitement he brings to our programs is tremendous.”
Ballet Western Reserve has a 50-plus year rich history as the only nonprofit dance education program in the Mahoning Valley. The organization povides training in multiple areas of dance, including modern, tap, jazz, hip-hop and lyrical. It is the only dance school in the area that uses the curriculum of the prestigious American Ballet Theater, Shapiro noted. BWR is known for its outstanding ballet productions, including the annual holiday classic The Nutcracker where students dance side-by-side with professionals.
Kmieć returns to Youngstown after having assumed directorship of BWR for the winter/spring season in 2011. During that period, the home facility in the Morley Center was given an interior renovation and exterior branding, the board began a year-long strategic planning process facilitated by YSU, groundwork for outreach and adjunct programs was established, and a series of “Let’s Move Youngstown” programs were initiated.
Upon returning to New York City following his time in Youngstown, Kmieć has been active in choreography and film work, serving as an instructor at the American Musical and Dramatic Academy and Ballet Arts, and artistic director of the Sarabande Repertory Dance Ensemble and the Lublin Ensemble. Kmieć has danced with the Boston Ballet, the Metropolitan Opera Ballet, toured and performed on Broadway with both Rudolf Nureyev and in the American Dancemachine. He traveled to the Soviet Union with Stars of American Ballet, and has performed in numerous Broadway and national touring theater productions.
“In accordance with the conclusions of our strategic planning, we will now focus on funding opportunities and new programs that will further solidify BWR’s reputation and relevance in the region’s arts community,” Shapiro noted. “We are so excited about a number of new initiatives we are getting ready to unveil, initiatives that will enable us to reaffirm our existing standing as such a vital asset in the community.”
SOURCE: Ballet Western Reserve.
Published by The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.
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