St. Petersburg City Ballet to Shut Down

As of Dec. 31, after nearly 30 years, the St. Petersburg City Ballet will be shutting down.

The news was announced at Monday’s Arts Advisory Committee meeting by John Collins, head of the St. Petersburg Arts Alliance.

On Wednesday the ballet confirmed the news. 

" … A lot of people are very hurt and sad that we can't continue," the ballet said in an email to Patch. "It's truly a shame. The students were being provided an opportunity to train with some of the best instructors in this area in a facility that provided professional sprung floors, large studios — everything you could ask for."

Collins and the committee said they are very disappointed the ballet is shutting down for many reasons, but mostly because it had such great potential.

The organization had an amazing “artistic vision for the St. Pete City Ballet as it became from the Florida West Ballet,” Collins said.

"Many things were on the verge of happening," the ballet said in a statement to Patch. "These kids are crushed, but without funding or other support our hands seem to be tied."

The organization's website said the organization has been a part of St. Pete for 30 years and only recently changed its name to the St. Petersburg City Ballet. 

"St. Petersburg City Ballet was founded in 1981 as Florida West Ballet. In 2011 Florida West Ballet changed its name to St. Petersburg City Ballet as a rebirth to its core values. With a wonderful new studio, new faculty and a new board the organization is focused on providing the best ballet training in St. Petersburg and the Tampa Bay area."

The ballet, located at 290 Martin Luther King Jr. St. N., could no longer keep up organizationally and financially as it was aiming to increase its influence and scope, the arts committee said.

In September, the city ballet formed a board to oversee operations. Last week, the board disbanded, the ballet said. 

“They did not have a business plan for this new model,” said Elizabeth Brincklow, Office of Arts & International Relations, at Monday’s arts committee meeting.

She told the committee that its second model, moving from being open one day a week to five, was not sustainable.

“They were working backwards and forwards at the same time,'' Brincklow said. “It’s a loss for a lot of reasons."

Teachers, trainers and top dancers are being directed to other dance studios in the area. The ballet hopes its dancers will continue to follow their dreams and aspirations. 

"With advanced-level students, those serious about ballet, they can't not dance. It's who they are," the ballet said.