Contemporary ballet company Ballet X celebrated the groundbreaking of its new Center for World Premiere Choreography this week, announcing plans to commission 40 new works by 25 choreographers in the next decade and promising to provide opportunities for young people in the neighborhood of its new South Philadelphia home.
"The whole next step is about bridging barriers and making friends in the community that we're excited to be a part of," said Ballet X Artistic and Executive Director Christine Cox. "We are going to come in, and we are ready to share our love for dance, and let me tell you, we love to dance at Ballet X."
The center is expected to open early next year and will provide rehearsal and office space for the ballet company, which Cox co-founded in 2005 with choreographer Matthew Neenan. Ballet X also plans to open rehearsals to residents in the neighboring communities and to offer an afterschool program for area students to complement its Dance eXchange program, which introduces dance and creative movement to 3rd and 4th graders in the city's schools.
This week on A Tempo (Saturday 11/18 at 7 pm), host Rachel Katz speaks with Cox and Kelly Lee, chief cultural officer for the city, about the center and Ballet X's future plans.
And with the holiday season approaching, this week's program will also begin a series looking at what several other ballet companies have planned for their seasonal productions of The Nutcracker, including sensory-friendly performances and other community-oriented programs. This week: Roxey Ballet in Lambertville, NJ.
