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There is more than one way to pursue the dream of dance and at Chicago Ballet Arts they have been nurturing the passion of dancers, ages 5 to 18, for over 3 decades.

Dedication to the craft of dance came to life on stage this weekend at the McGrath Family Performing Arts Center in Wilmette where over 66 Chicago Ballet Arts students from across Chicagoland and the North Shore performed their annual concert.

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Dancers performed during the Chicago Ballet Arts annual concert where dancers performed to the music of Mozart, Strauss and Tchaikovsky with new and re-staged works, presented with professional lighting, classical music, and elaborate costumes, with many of the dancers making their first stage debut.
Dancers performed during the Chicago Ballet Arts annual concert where dancers performed to the music of Mozart, Strauss and Tchaikovsky with new and re-staged works, presented with professional lighting, classical music, and elaborate costumes, with many of the dancers making their first stage debut.

Dancers showed their skills to the music of Mozart, Strauss and Tchaikovsky with new and restaged works, presented with professional lighting, classical music and elaborate costumes with many of the dancers making their first stage debut.

Diemer says at CBA they are not an audition-based program and their philosophy is all about inclusion.

“Our main focus is on the support and encouragement of dance,” Chicago Ballet Arts Artistic and Executive Director Maliwan Diemer said. “If a child wants to dance, it doesn’t matter what they look like where they come from, whether or not they require need-based scholarship assistance, we support them through their dance journey.”

Dancers Maritza Pardo, Leighton Jirgal, Mila Hollis, Elise Pirillis all part of the Chicago Ballet Arts students annual concert. Dancers performed to the music of Mozart, Strauss and Tchaikovsky with new and re-staged works, presented with professional lighting, classical music, and elaborate costumes, with many of the dancers making their first stage debut.
Dancers Maritza Pardo, Leighton Jirgal, Mila Hollis, Elise Pirillis all part of the Chicago Ballet Arts students annual concert. Dancers performed to the music of Mozart, Strauss and Tchaikovsky with new and re-staged works, presented with professional lighting, classical music, and elaborate costumes, with many of the dancers making their first stage debut.

The family-friendly annual concert was held on Saturday, May 20 at 4:30 p.m. and Sunday, May 21 at 2 p.m. at the newly constructed McGrath Family Performing Arts Center. This year’s performance was the first ever performance for CBA students at the new center.

Jeanne Barclay of Evanston started her 6-year-old daughter in Pre-Ballet at Chicago Ballet Arts last fall.

“Fiona was welcomed and made comfortable since day one, everyone on staff is helpful, kind and my daughter’s ballet teacher is also a kindergarten teacher, Barclay said. “She is incredible with the class.”

Dedication to the craft of dance came to life on stage this weekend, at the McGrath Family Performing Arts Center in Wilmette, where over 66 Chicago Ballet Arts students, from across Chicagoland and the North Shore, performed their annual concert.
Dedication to the craft of dance came to life on stage this weekend, at the McGrath Family Performing Arts Center in Wilmette, where over 66 Chicago Ballet Arts students, from across Chicagoland and the North Shore, performed their annual concert.

The Evanston-based Chicago Ballet Arts was founded in 1986, and according to their news release, born from a desire to create a school that infused the rigor of a preprofessional dance program with an inclusive, nurturing environment. The original focus of providing access and opportunity to high quality ballet training for all with the desire to learn is still central to this nonprofit organization’s mission today.

Grace Spalding of Evanston is a dance student alum of Chicago Ballet Arts where she studied for 14 years. Spalding is currently an industrial design student at the University of Illinois.

“The rigor of the CBA program, the skills I learned there like discipline and time management, these are things that helped my dancing, but that I still carry with me in life,” Spalding said.

Dancers performed during the Chicago Ballet Arts annual concert where dancers performed to the music of Mozart, Strauss and Tchaikovsky with new and re-staged works, presented with professional lighting, classical music, and elaborate costumes, with many of the dancers making their first stage debut.
Dancers performed during the Chicago Ballet Arts annual concert where dancers performed to the music of Mozart, Strauss and Tchaikovsky with new and re-staged works, presented with professional lighting, classical music, and elaborate costumes, with many of the dancers making their first stage debut.

Gina Grillo is a freelance reporter with Pioneer Press.