Organization

The mission of Ballet Arts Ensemble, Inc., of Kalamazoo (BAE), a youth ballet company, is to provide educational and performing opportunities for its members while perpetuating the art of dance with an emphasis in ballet.

Established in 1982 by Jerre James and Bette Joachimi, BAE is a nonprofit organization created to promote and perpetuate the art of dance. With the retirement of Jerre James in 2001, ballet mistress Cathleen Huling became BAE’s artistic director.

Chosen in open auditions each May, a group of 14-18 dancers of middle school through college age is selected for membership in this exceptional dance group. Ensemble members must take two classical ballet classes a week in addition to the weekly 3-hour Ensemble class (with live accompaniment) and rehearsal block. They also benefit from outstanding instruction by guest artists and visiting teachers from American Ballet Theatre, Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp, Boston Ballet, Education for the Arts, Grand Rapids Ballet, Hubbard Street 2, Royal Ballet (London), Rutgers University, Tokyo Ballet, Wellspring/Cori Terry & Dancers, and Western Michigan University.

The BAE Board of Directors plans and implements the season’s program, which is designed to include full-length ballets as well as mixed repertory and collaborative events with area dancers, musicians, and singers in various venues. In December of odd-numbered years, BAE presents a fully staged Nutcracker–in collaboration with the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra and the Children’s Chorus–at classical Chenery Auditorium.

Enrichment activities are an important part of BAE's history. In 2002, the board estab­lished the W. Dale and Geraldine Crooks Scholarship to provide assistance for those serious dancers who wish to pursue summer studies outside Ballet Arts School of Dance. The scholarship supports programs in dance-related fields that enrich and further the recipient’s dance education.

In the past 8 years, 70 girls have received awards totaling $21,715 for summer studies and attended programs at the American Ballet Theatre Michigan Summer Intensive, Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp, Cecchetti Council Summer School, Grand Rapids Ballet Summer Institute, Joffrey Ballet Dance Lab, Point Park University International Summer Intensive, Texas Christian University, and Turning Pointe School of Dance.

The board also funds annual field trips by providing tickets and making arrangements for Ensemble members to attend professional dance-related productions within and outside of the state, including performances by American Ballet Theatre, Ballet Quad Cities, Dayton Ballet, Grand Rapids Ballet, Joffrey Ballet, Miami City Ballet, and Western Michigan University Department of Dance.