It is 6:00 at night and the sound of happy giggles and hushed laughter have filled the busy hallway of the Heritage Ballet studio in Lincoln. There is a fluster of activity as leotards are shimmied on and loose ponytails are pulled into taut buns. Parents are shuffling in and out, some lingering a little longer than others to watch as their bright-eyed ballerinas take to the barre. In a matter of minutes, the lightheartedness of the crowd yields to the clinking notes of piano keys as they plunk out the rhythm for a room full of aspiring dancers. The encouraging but firm voice of a poised dance instructor rises above the piano as a row of seven-year olds extend their arms and plié in unison. In the next room, an older group of dancers leap effortlessly and gracefully across the floor, their faces lined in concentration.
This scene of beauty and art plays out every day at the ballet studio of Patricia Dubois. Ms. Dubois opened Heritage Ballet to create a place where the dreams of hopeful dancers could be realized - dreams to float across a dance floor, and to express the artful form of classical ballet. Patricia Dubois dreamed these dreams herself as a young child who grew up to become the protégé of one of the most accomplished and recognized prima ballerinas of her time, Christine Hennessey.
Christine Hennessey, a native Rhode Islander, was classically trained in New York City and went on to perform around the world. When she and her husband, Winthrop Corey, returned to RI in 1978, they founded the Festival Ballet. It is with the Festival Ballet that Patricia Dubois herself became a young principal dancer under the tutelage of her mentor and idol, Ms. Hennessey. In 2003, after dancing for twelve years, performing the role of "ballet mistress" for several years after that, and with her unabated passion for dancing, Ms. Dubois established Heritage Ballet.
Heritage Ballet offers ballet, jazz and creative dance classes to students ages 2 ½ years old to adult. Classes are taught by highly skilled instructors, all of whom danced professionally. Ms. Dubois hand-selected these instructors because they are both experienced dancers as well as patient and talented teachers. Many of the students here have also gone on to perform in national troupes, so Heritage Studio is a place for both serious and recreational dancers alike. At year's end, the studio produces two full-length ballets, The Nutcracker and Sleeping Beauty - both performed in the iconic Stadium Theatre in Woonsocket. The season also ends in a culmination dance for all the students to showcase their accomplishments for friends and family.
Heritage Ballet is located on 1947 Old Louisquisset Pike in Lincoln. For directions, rates and class schedules, visit their website at www.heritageballet.com or call Patricia Dubois at 401-333-9099.
Comments
No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here