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SAVANNAH BALLET THEATRE UTILIZES GRANTS TO SUPPORT EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS AND PRODUCE VIRTUAL PETER AND THE WOLF

SAVANNAH, GA – April 21, 2021 – Savannah Ballet Theatre (SBT) has received funding to support innovative educational programs in 2021, including the filming and dissemination of children’s ballet, Peter and The Wolf. This symphonic fairy tale was created by Russian composer Sergei Sergeyevich Prokofiev in 1936 to familiarize children with individual instruments of the orchestra and inspire their interest in music. SBT will introduce students at Savannah Savannah-Chatham County Public School System (SCCPSS) to ballet with a fresh take on this beloved children’s performance.

SBT has received a $52,000 grant from the City of Savannah Arts and Culture Education (ACE) to support the continued growth of its educational outreach programs for local students which is supporting the Peter and The Wolf initiative. Savannah’s Arts and Culture Enrichment program (ACE) is intended to integrate arts, culture, heritage, design, and other creative disciplines as strategies that strengthen the City of Savannah’s economic, physical, and social vitality. In addition, SBT has been granted $5,000 from the Georgia Council for the Arts (GCA) to support its educational programs.

Rebecca Martin Dugal, Artistic Program Coordinator and a Company Dancer at SBT says, “We are extremely grateful to the City of Savannah and Georgia Council for the Arts for their generous support. We have not been able to present live performances since December 2019 due to the COVID-19 pandemic which has resulted in the loss of much-needed revenue through ticket sales. We are excited to resume our educational outreach to schools virtually through Peter and The Wolf, and hope to resume in-person outreach later this year, if safe to do so.”

Currently celebrating their 21st season of serving the greater Savannah community, SBT was established in 1998 under the artistic direction of Suzanne Braddy. Recognized as the premiere dance company in Southeast Georgia, SBT normally presents a full season of classical and contemporary dance every year. These two grants will help support SBT’s low-sensory performances of their fall shows and The Nutcracker, if determined safe to be performed in-person. These sensory-friendly performances are designed specifically for individuals with autism spectrum disorders, sensory sensitivities, or other disabilities, and are another way SBT reached out to new audiences, to spread the joy of dance throughout Savannah. SBT is proud to be the first professional arts organization in Savannah to offer this innovative and accessible experiences.

Savannah Ballet Theatre is committed to creating and curating artistically forceful new productions which are based on adaptations of popular stories and movies. SBT is Savannah and southeast Georgia’s only professional dance company. It is their mission to develop and showcase the talent of dedicated Savannah dancers alongside top professional dancers who train in the studio, and to engage in educational outreach and promotion of the art of dance within the community.

For more information about SBT’s sponsorship program or to donate, please email donate@savannahballettheatre.org or call 912-200-9406 or visit the website www.savannahballettheatre.org.

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For media inquiries, please contact Kristyn Fielding at kristyn@lesleyfrancispr.com or 229-393-6457 or Lesley Francis at lesley@lesleyfrancispr.com or 912-429-3950 or the team at 912-417-LFPR (5377).