St. Paul Ballet Growing by Small Leaps

The growth of St. Paul Ballet is a story of small leaps. A little more than a year ago, the company and school faced debt and considered cutting back on performances and even closing its doors. It reorganized as an artist-led organization, with dancers taking on administrative roles. Heading into the 2014-15 season, it looks like the dancers' dedication has paid off.

The company has expanded to nine professional dancers, plus five in training. More than 120 children and adults take classes every week and the school hopes to almost double enrollment with a second studio opening in September at 655 Fairview Ave. N., just north of University. The public is invited to learn more during an open house on Saturday.

“We hope that we can grow and we can have a company of 20 dancers,” says dancer and artistic director Zoe Henrot. “Our goal is to become a major landmark for ballet — for ballet training and performance and ballet for fun.”

While the Twin Cities does not have a large professional ballet company, it boasts a handful of small ones, including the nationally respected James Sewell Ballet based at Cowles Center for Dance and the Performing Arts in downtown Minneapolis. Other small companies are affiliated with schools, including Minnesota Dance Theatre in Minneapolis, Minnesota Ballet in downtown St. Paul and Continental Ballet in Bloomington.