Ballet Western Reserve

Ballet Western Reserve is a non-profit organization that is committed to offering the highest quality of classes for children and adults at various levels of ability. The school enrolls approximately three hundred students from the age of three to adult. Professional training is offered in ballet, pointe, pas de deux, creative movement, pre-ballet, modern, jazz, hip-hop, pilates, and yoga. In accordance with the Ballet Western Reserve mission statement, students are offered the opportunity to develop the skills, experience and discipline that provide the necessary foundation for a professional career in dance. The Ballet also maintains a commitment to offer a variety of dance courses designed to provide physical and aesthetic benefits unmatched by any other athletic endeavors. Classes are available for students interested in performing in the Ballet Western Reserve Company and also for students interested in learning dance technique and discipline simply for the enjoyment of it.

For more than forty years, Ballet Western Reserve has been a fixture of the area’s cultural scene. Founded by a parents organization in 1962 as the Youngstown Symphony Ballet, it expanded to become Ballet Western Reserve and was incorporated in 1979 as a regional company. Throughout the 1970’s, the company flourished under various directors who worked to build the school and company, establish workshops and programs, increase enrollment and develop community activities and outreach with the Butler Museum of Art, the public schools, and other civic organizations.

In 1982, Anita Lin assumed total responsibility as Ballet Western Reserve Artistic Director, stepping down from that position in 2007 to serve as the organization's Executive Director. Her apt leadership has led to substantial enrollment increases, continued program development, and extensive community involvement.

In 2014, Stasś Kmieć began his tenure as artistic director and has led a push for further BWR involvement in the community. BWR dancers have performed with students from YSU, The Erie Ballet, The Opera Western Reserve and The Youngstown Playhouse. Kmieć also brought a local flare to the production of The Nutcracker by branding it A Youngstown Nutcracker and incorporating Youngstown's founding fathers as characters in the production and making the show a learning experience, as well as an entertainment one.