by Caroline Gabsewics
Staff Writer
In 1979 two people saw a need in Jacksonville that wasn’t being fulfilled. That need was a professional dance company.
Laurie Byrd and her late husband, Michael, moved to Jacksonville in the late 1970s after meeting each other in New York City at the Metropolitan Opera House. Both were dancers and knew how important it is for the arts to be an intricate part of a city. Soon after moving to Jacksonville, they opened The Florida Ballet. Byrd said the company has had its ups and downs, but it has always been a place for dancers, young and old, to be a part of Jacksonville’s growing arts community.
“Our purpose was to do something for Jacksonville. We saw the need 30 years ago, because there were not that many opportunities for dancers to study at the intensity that they needed to to be a professional dancer,” said Artistic Director for The Florida Ballet Laurie Byrd.
Currently, The Florida Ballet is undergoing some major changes to expand its administrative staff as well as find ways to have a larger presence in the community.
“It is an exciting time for us now,” she said. “We are expanding our staff and board of directors, all to help us grow artistically.
“We are working on building up our support system.”
The Florida Ballet’s Board of Directors are: Marc Sellers and Michael Kenney of Merrill Lynch, Lydia Stewart of the Ritz Theatre and LaVilla Museum, Leila LeVan of Quality Response Services, Nancy Olsen of the mayors office, and John Stewart of Flagler College. Byrd said they are in the process of adding another board member who is an attorney, but they haven’t officially announced who it is yet.
Many people and companies in the community have also helped make The Florida Ballet what it is today. Byrd said the Haskell Company is their largest supporter. The Jaguar Foundation is another and many smaller businesses such as The Grape also support The Florida Ballet.
“It is an example of arts and businesses working hand in hand. That is why we are going to start looking for a development director to expand and keep our partnership with these businesses,” said Byrd.
Preston Haskell, chairman of the Haskell Company and collector of contemporary art, said his company has made that commitment to support the arts in Jacksonville.
“Our main focus is to contribute to the arts,” said Haskell. “Laurie is doing a wonderful job artistically and she is working so hard and she is so inspirational to her dancers.”
Haskell added that The Florida Ballet helps make the city more culturally diverse and complete. The Haskell Company has been supporting The Florida Ballet for about 20 years.
“Every first-tier city needs a professional ballet company and we want to support it,” he said. “She has filled the void in Jacksonville and she has provided great leadership in filling that void.”
The business aspect is only one portion of the company, but the dancers make up a large part of what The Florida Ballet is all about.
Byrd said they currently have 35 students and five professional dancers who are on contract. The professional dancers are on contract for about 15-17 weeks and they can be renewed after each contract is up. Byrd said one of her professional dancers has been with the company for several years.
The professional dancers have a series of three performances at the Florida Theatre as well as more informal performances at their studio on State Street.
“We are working on increasing the activities of the company and having a stronger presence in the community,” said Byrd.
She hopes some day the number of professional dancers they have on contract grows, but they are still in the process of expanding. Some of the company’s professional dancers went through Byrd’s training program. She said some trained here and went elsewhere and then decided to come back. Other dancers work at The Florida Ballet and do guest appearances in other companies and shows.
“It is a nice blend of natives and people from outside of the company,” she said. “It only makes us stronger.”
Byrd said some of her professional dancers are dance teachers and others may hold other small jobs on the side, but they all do guest appearances for other companies.
Byrd’s students in the company’s training program have classes every year from September through June.
“We are providing an academy for young people who are considering a career in dance and who have the capabilities to be a professional dancer,” she said.
By having a place like The Florida Ballet for Jacksonville’s younger dancers, it gives them the opportunity to stay home and receive proper dance training without having to move away from their family. The 35 students Byrd has are all between the ages of 8 and 18.
“We do a lot of research on bigger program’s training curriculum to try and match it here at The Florida Ballet so students don’t have to leave home,” she said. “Our dancers have a 100 percent acceptance rate.
“One of our dancers this year is graduating and she has been accepted into about five or six universities’ dance departments, most with a scholarship.”
The younger dancers train twice a week, while the older dancers train six days a week, with 10 classes per week.
“It gives them the same edge as it would when you are a professional dancer,” she said. “And these dancers have to juggle school at the same time. It is very demanding.”
Byrd said many of her students are also do very well in school.
“Most graduate at the top of their class,” she said. “The ones who are the busiest, they are academically right on top. The dancers come in after school and in their down time they are doing their school work.”
The Florida Ballet is comparable to the nation’s other major programs, said Byrd. Besides traditional classical ballet, she also specializes in contemporary ballet. Byrd also offers pilates and other workshop classes to her dancers.
For six weeks each summer, Byrd has a Summer Intensive program for anyone who is interested in ballet.
“It is a great opportunity for them to expand their knowledge of dance,” she said. “It teaches them (the dancers) how exciting it is to work in this business, but also how demanding it is.”
At the end of the six weeks the dancers perform at the Florida Theatre.
With all of the changes going on, Byrd is also looking ahead to the next 10 years.
“I am looking forward to the point in time when I can say this organization is healthy enough 10 years down the road,” she said. “I just have to work on strengthening our roots.”