- Madison native Mary Kate Shearer, who trained with Mississippi Metropolitan Ballet, is excited to return home for the performance.
Chattanooga Ballet is celebrating its 50th Anniversary season this year and is visiting Jackson on January 24 and 25 on a multi-city regional tour.
“We will present classical and contemporary ballet works by two of the most well-known names in the world of ballet, George Balanchine (co-founder of NYC Ballet) and Gerald Arpino (co-founder of Joffrey Ballet), as well as two new works by Dance Theatre of Harlem’s Ingrid Silva and our own Artistic Director, Brian McSween,” says Aly Brock Haugland, Chattanooga Ballet’s director of development and administration. “We are collaborating with Belhaven University and Mississippi Metropolitan Ballet who will also be guest performing in the program after participating in Master Classes earlier that week.”
Chattanooga Ballet works with highly recognized choreographers from around the country to present a repertoire that includes works from classical to contemporary and modern genres. In addition to the regular seasons in Chattanooga, the company is proud to represent the city by touring throughout the southeast region.
The company has been described as a “dream caster,” showing what is possible for the athlete and the artist.
Brian McSween serves as the CEO and artistic director for Chattanooga Ballet.
“We are very excited to present these internationally recognized choreographers to regional audiences,” McSween remarks.
“Typically, you would need to travel to NYC, Boston, or Houston to see these works, so this is a wonderful, not-to-be-missed opportunity. They are rich in artistry making them as much fun for our dancers as they are for the audiences,” he says.
One of those dancers is Madison native Mary Kate Shearer, who trained with Mississippi Metropolitan Ballet. She joined the Indiana University Ballet Theater in 2018 and graduated from the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University before joining Chattanooga Ballet in 2021. She is excited to return home for this performance.
Shearer and CHA Ballet’s Brian McSween will offer Master Classes on January 25th for local dance students including Intermediate-Advanced for ages 12-15 from 9-10:25 and Advanced for ages 16+ from 10:30-12.
“Returning home to Jackson to perform and teach is an honor,” says Shearer. “The arts community in Mississippi has supported me in ways too numerous to list. The training, inspiration, and encouragement I received from Mississippi Metropolitan Ballet, teachers in Madison County Schools, family, and friends have been instrumental to my development as a professional ballerina. I am eternally grateful for all that Mississippi has given me, and I cannot wait for Chattanooga Ballet to share such a beautiful program with my hometown.”
The performance, to be held at the Belhaven Performing Arts Center, will also feature special guest performances by students from Belhaven University’s Dance Department and Mississippi Metropolitan Ballet.
Tickets for the performances on January 24 at 7:30pm and January 25 at 2pm and master classes can be found here.
All proceeds support Chattanooga Ballet’s mission to serve through the power of dance. Celebrating its 50th Anniversary Season, Chattanooga Ballet is a nonprofit organization and is dedicated to the enrichment of the community by advancing the art of dance.
Susan Marquez
