Students of one local ballet academy were able to bring a story to life over the weekend.
The East Tennessee Ballet Academy held their annual spring performances at T.A. Dugger’s auditorium and treated attendees to productions of Coppelia: The Magical Doll.
“I thought the students did a fantastic job,” Cynthia Bernshausen, director of the academy, said.
Bernshausen credited the work ethic of all the students that participated. Performers’ ages ranged from 3-20 years old.
“The audience seemed to be really captivated by the performance,” she said. “There was times backstage I was getting lost in the performance. I thought our students did a fantastic job.”
East Tennessee Ballet Academy is the home of the East Tennessee Youth Ballet, a nonprofit organization located on East Elk Avenue in Elizabethton.
The emergence of the performing arts has been a joy to see, according to the director.
“It’s fantastic to see the growth of the arts in Elizabethton and Carter County,” she said. “I would love to see it continue to grow and keep up the momentum. You see the work at the Bonnie Kate and other businesses. You see how downtown is coming alive. It’s so great to see how everything is going and we want to be a vessel for that. Whether it’s for dance or to help with scenery, we definite welcome any artist.”
Bernshausen added the sign-ups for upcoming classes are underway now. For more information, visit easttennesseeballetacademy.com, the East Tennessee Ballet Academy Facebook page or call (423) 512-1772.