Dear Friend of Pages to Pirouettes:

 

This is a very special year! We are marking 20 years of bringing our charming abridged versions of the great story ballets—Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Coppélia, The Nutcracker, and more—to audiences in the Greater Philadelphia region.

In 1996, when Michele MacDonald and I founded Pages to Pirouettes, we went from preschool to preschool, reading a story and then dancing it, as we had when my then 4-year-old daughter asked to bring her ballerina mommy to school for show and tell.

Now, 20 years later, Pages to Pirouettes is a “ballet caravan,” bringing the beauty and glorious music of ballet, the magic of theater, and the delight of storytelling to audiences of all ages. We still dance in preschools, but we also dance in schools, libraries, museums, churches, synagogues, hospitals, and senior and special-needs communities. Some of our audiences have never seen ballet before. Others, such as the students of Widener Memorial School and residents of Inglis House, have limited opportunities to enjoy the performing arts.

 Although we have grown since our early days when Michele and I would make do with a couple dancers and our old tutus, we remain true to our beginnings. “Show and tell” is still an important part of what we do: an actor reads the story, dancers bring it to life, and after we take our bows, we invite the audience to “dance” with us, no matter their age or level of mobility, and we visit with them for an up-close look at our costumes and a chance to ask questions.

Please join us in celebrating our 20 years. Here are three ways you can be part of our work:

 

• Attend our public performances—and bring a friend or two!
• Introduce us to a new venue where we might perform.
• Make a contribution. (Click for a donation form.) Whether your gift is a few dollars towards costumes and props or a performance fee to bring a ballet to an underserved audience, you will be an important part of our work.
  
  

With appreciation,

Susan Cade

Co-Founder and Artistic Director