Dear Friends of South Dakota Ballet,
We hope this email finds you safe and healthy. The past few weeks have been a whirlwind for people and businesses across the country. Our communities in South Dakota are no exception to the impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic. Our hearts go out to everyone struggling during this challenging time.
At South Dakota Ballet, a variety of things have taken place including some difficult decisions surrounding our very first performance and masterclass series; The Inaugural Gala/Masterclass Series scheduled for Thursday, June 11 & Friday, June 12. With heavy hearts we share with you that the Inaugural Gala and Masterclass Series are officially postponed. This decision was necessary for the physical and mental safety of our artists, audience members, technical crews, sponsors, students, choreographers, costume designers, musicians, ushers, and volunteers.
A new date has not yet been selected. With new information becoming available to us every single day, we feel it is too soon to project when gathering in large groups will be appropriate again. We wish to spare our patrons confusion by remaining patient in selecting a new date for this extraordinary event with hopes of avoiding additional cancellations. We are committed to bringing joy, inspiration and hope to our communities. It is our promise to keep you informed with regular updates every step of the way. Please open, and read your emails from us.
All tickets will be transferred to our new date. Please consider keeping your ticket for the new date of our first performance. We need your dedication and support during this time. If you wish to receive a refund immediately, please call the box office at the Washington Pavilion at (605) 367-6000 and they will happily assist you. We are deeply sorry for the inconvenience. Thank you for being so understanding and supportive throughout this process.
Our mission remains strong, especially in the midst of crisis, so you can expect to see us forging onward in generating opportunities to inspire, empower, connect and educate people in our communities and across the globe during this time. Times of crisis often spark miraculous moments of creativity.
This week, we hosted our first virtual class series and have had several hundred attendees from around the world thus far! There are still classes to be had today, tomorrow & Saturday. Our dedicated supporters have made it possible that these classes be FREE to participants. The classes are being taught via Instagram Live & Zoom by dancers from American Ballet Theatre, Miami City Ballet, Los Angeles Ballet, Royal Winnipeg Ballet, Aspen Santa Fe Ballet, and the Lion King National Tour!
While these times may feel dark & relentless, please hold tight to your hope, just as we have. We truly believe that there are many more performances to be had, many more places to be experienced & much more beauty to be shared. This time will push us to our limits and demonstrate our resilience and malleability when found face-to-face with a challenge.
We will emerge stronger and more capable of reaching people in ways we never knew were possible. It is our responsibility as an arts organization as the world needs artists now more than ever and once it is safe to congregate again, our communities will need us to help them heal.
With Love & Hope,
Madeleine Scott (Founder)
Ruth Kern-Scott (Treasurer)
Johna Kern (Secretary)
