PALM BEACH GARDENS — Ballet Palm Beach, formerly Florida Classical Ballet Theatre, kicks off the season with “flash ballet” performances this week, beginning today at the Cultural Council of Palm Beach County in Lake Worth.
A performance of “flash ballet” lasts no more than 10 minutes, and Ballet Palm Beach, led by Artistic Director Colleen Smith, will be performing at locations throughout Palm Beach County including The Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens, Whole Foods at Florida Atlantic University and Mizner Park.
On Friday, Ballet Palm Beach heads to West Palm Beach with performances at Palm Beach Atlantic University, the Norton Museum of Art, Clematis Street and CityPlace.
Weekend performances will be held at the Palm Beach Zoo, the Flagler Museum, The Breakers and Worth Avenue, as well as Jupiter Lighthouse, Juno Beach Pier and The Gardens mall, ending with a performance at its home venue, the Eissey Campus Theatre at Palm Beach State College in Palm Beach Gardens.
Now in its 13th season, Ballet Palm Beach changed its name from Florida Classical Ballet Theatre at the end of last season.
“The name Ballet Palm Beach better aligns our growing ballet company with who we are and the community we serve,” Smith says.
The flash ballet locations were chosen not only for their significance to Palm Beach County but also to reach younger people that have not been as exposed to the arts, but who may find great enrichment through them.
Opening night with Ballet Palm Beach will be Friday, Oct. 25 at 7:30 p.m., with a performance of The Curtain Rises, a mixed repertoire of dances featuring three tangos with music by Astor Piazzolla and In The Mood, set to Glenn Miller’s Big Band classic. For tickets, call (561) 207-5900.
WEST PALM BEACH –The Palm Beach Pops has canceled its 2013-14 season following the death of its founder, conductor Bob Lappin, but will continue its music education work in Palm Beach County schools.
Lappin, 78, who founded the Pops in 1991 and led its first concert the following year, died of heart failure in Boston on Aug. 19.
“With the unfortunate passing of Maestro Bob Lappin, the board of directors unanimously chose to move forward honoring his legacy by emphasizing music education in the schools,” executive director and board member David Quilleon said in a statement. “The board believes that we owe it to the community and to Maestro Lappin’s work over the last two decades to preserve the organization’s assets as opposed to operating at a deficit.
“After 21 years together, our musicians, technical staff, subscribers and performers have become like family. We are deeply saddened that we will not see them as frequently, but expect to work with them on future music programs, concerts and fundraising events.”
All patrons who purchased a 2013-14 subscription will have the option to either accept a refund by mail, or for those who believe in the Pops’ mission, donate the funds to support music education programs.
The Palm Beach Pops plans to continue and expand its educational programs, which promote music in the classroom for elementary school students in Palm Beach County’s underserved districts. The Music and You program correlates music with social studies, literature, character education, science and math.
It enables students to develop an understanding of the rudiments of melody, harmony and rhythm by listening to a variety of music, including Bach, Mozart, Gershwin, Duke Ellington and more contemporary music. To date, approximately 90,000 children have participated in the program.
“Though we have sadly lost our beloved Maestro Bob Lappin, we will be able to continue our mission as a result of his careful financial oversight and fiscal responsibility,” says Palm Beach Pops vice president Patricia Becker, a member of the board of directors for 20 years. “This will enable us to continue using our superb musicians in school and educational programs as well as for special concerts which we may present. Bob Lappin could not have left a finer legacy.”
Though not on a regularly scheduled basis, The Palm Beach Pops looks forward to performing future concerts locally and nationally. The organization continues to focus on fundraising to support what has always been its mission, preserving the great American Songbook and providing music education opportunities to local children.