A visit to Philadelphia Ballet’s new Center for Dance ahead of Stars and Stripes Forever!

The Center for Dance hosted a grand opening in mid-September comprising a weekend-long celebration with a gala, ribbon cutting, and community celebration. During the press preview led by Shelly Power, chief executive officer of Philadelphia Ballet, I caught a glimpse of the new Center for Dance and preparations for the season opener. It was a fascinating look behind the scenes and into the beautiful, expansive space at 323 N Broad Street.

Star-studded inspiration

Multiple classes were in session while dancers and artistic operations staff prepared to mount Stars and Stripes Forever! Shoe coordinator Keirsten Galler explained how dancers’ footwear must be ordered one to three years in advance.

New shoes in white and pink filled cubbies labeled by dancers’ last names, waiting to be dyed to match costumes. The wardrobe area housed racks of costumes, curtained changing rooms, sewing materials and equipment, and multiple worktables. At one of the tables sat Elmo Struck, wardrobe assistant, adjusting costumes for the upcoming production.

Across the hall, artistic director Angel Corella rehearsed Fancy Free (1944) for the Stars and Stripes Forever! A collaboration between choreographer Jerome Robbins and composer Leonard Bernstein, Fancy Free was the precursor to On the Town (1944), the Broadway musical about three World War II sailors enjoying leave in New York. The 1949 MGM musical film On the Town starring Frank Sinatra, Anne Miller, and Betty Garret, was directed by and featured Gene Kelly. On the Town became a massive success, earning an Oscar for its score and was the second-highest grossing film of the time, according to IMDB.

Philadelphia Ballet’s new rehearsal studio, lined with windows looking down to Broad Street, allows the company to practice in a space the size of the stage at the Academy of Music, where it performs. Corella told the rehearsing dancers to consider Fancy Free a play rather than a dance. Nicholas Patterson, Jack Thomas, Arian Molina Soca, and Nayara Lopes performed an encounter between the soldiers and an attractive woman. Portable ballet barres stood in for a set piece, the kind of bar that dispenses alcohol instead of pliés. Corella watched, directed, and gave notes.

"Something really special"

Later, dancers from that Fancy Free rehearsal weighed in on the Semiquincentennial.

“There’s something really special about performing this ballet here in Philadelphia, especially in a year when we’re celebrating 250 years of American history,” Patterson said of Stars and Stripes Forever!

The company will perform “just a few blocks from where the Declaration of Independence was signed. As an American dancer, it makes the experience feel especially meaningful,” Patterson added.

Meanwhile, Lopes—a native of Brazil who has danced in the US for years—described experiencing “how differently dance can reflect a place and its people.”

“That’s what makes celebrating American dance so interesting. It’s not one single story. It’s been shaped by so many different people and influences, and we’re still adding to that story today,” Lopes added.

The new Center for Dance reflects the contributions Philadelphia Ballet is making to the story of American ballet and dance in Philly. Seeing the new spaces in use was a thrill, as well as a reminder of the collective artistry behind Philadelphia Ballet performances. Catch Lopes and Patterson in Stars and Stripes Forever! before the ballet returns with Dance at Great Velocity (October 10-15), an energetic program of contemporary dances including Wayne McGregor’s Chroma (2006), set to music by the White Stripes.

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