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Next Generation Ballet helps Sullivan Elementary celebrate the holidays

 
The Straz Center’s Next Generation Ballet gave a preview of their upcoming performance of the Nutcracker to students from Sullivan Elementary School. Sullivan is a partnership school with the Hillsborough County Schools District and Metropolitan Ministries.
The Straz Center’s Next Generation Ballet gave a preview of their upcoming performance of the Nutcracker to students from Sullivan Elementary School. Sullivan is a partnership school with the Hillsborough County Schools District and Metropolitan Ministries.
Published Dec. 7, 2016

TAMPA — The children gasped, oohed, and giggled as Nutcracker dancers pranced and leaped and floated across the stage.

A boy exclaimed, "Oh, my God!", when a teenage dancer did a high hands-free flip as a closing movement.

But mostly, the audience of 118 children from Patricia J. Sullivan Elementary watched in awe as a group of Next Generation Ballet dancers performed selections from The Nutcracker at the David A. Straz Center for the Performing Arts Tuesday morning.

"You are the very first to see this!" Artistic Director Philip Neal told the children.

"I liked the leopards best!" exclaimed Andrely Camacho, 10, after the performance.

Nivea Weaver, 8, preferred the line of Teacup dancers who danced to the strains of Tchaikovsky's familiar music.

Many of the children who attended the event are homeless and live with their families at Metropolitan Ministries.

The school, originally located at the Tampa-based Ministries, is now a regular Hillsborough County elementary school and partners with the Straz Center. The center's Patel Conservatory helps to teach the children ballet as part of their physical education program.

"The arts are really big to us," explained Lisa Yob, whose Yob Family Foundation began the Straz Center holiday party for Sullivan children four years ago.

"We wanted to do something that truly made a difference," she added "The arts is an outlet that allows you to communicate through singing, dancing, drawing when words don't necessarily fit."

Tuesday, the children not only watched parts of the Nutcracker— they acted in an impromptu skit about the 12 days of Christmas, ate lunch provided by Chick-fil-A, and received gifts from Santa ranging from sleeping bags to dolls to Lego sets.

Tampa Prep helped provide bus transportation to the school and Soho Images took pictures of the event.

"They just love it and look forward to it every year," said Sullivan Elementary Principal Daphne Fourqurean.

A weekly in-school ballet program, provided by the Straz Center, "brings out so much of their character. It helps to build a self confidence they never had," Fourqurean said.

Trae Mikus, 15, of Clearwater, one of the Next Generation dancers who entertained the children, said, "You just never know if one of the kids in the audience will be inspired by us."

Timothy Dobbins, 17, another dancer from Fargo, N.D., believes exposing children to the "finer arts" is "really important."

Two other dancers, Morgan Johns, 17, of Fredericksburg, Virginia, and Alexandra de Roos, 13, of Winter Haven, said they really appreciated the chance to perform before an audience before their public performances.

All four hope to become professional dancers in major ballet companies.

The Next Generation Ballet has 40 students from all over the U.S. and is hoping to open its enrollment to international students, as well.

Contact Sheila Mullane Estrada at hillsnews@tampabay.com.