Ballet Wichita - Wichita, Kansas

Mark McHenry

My daughter has danced with BW for years and has had amazing experiences. I’ve always enjoyed watching her dance and especially look forward to the Nutcracker every year…. It is always a highlight of the holiday season. Ballet in the park under David’s direction over the last few years has always been an amazing experience as well.
Last night I attended INNOVATIONS + The Promise show at the B29/ Doc hangar at the airport. I left the show highly disappointed. I was not disappointed in the amazing show and the incredible dancers, but by the men who spoke, and spoke, and spoke some more about how proud and amazed they were at their fellow cohorts who put together the technical/ non dance portions of the show!
The two men who spoke trying to introduce the show spoke as long as the actual first act! The two who spoke before the second act spoke nearly as long. Unacceptable !
The people who attended ( Grandparents, Parents, supporters) came to support and watch a dance performance…… not to listen to self aggrandizement in my humble opinion
Please put the focus on the dance and not the long winded speeches about your cats, and how you are a cryer, and Icarus!
5 minutes for an introduction instead of 22 would have made for a better experience

Elizabeth Dobbin

Our young daughter is a student with Ballet Wichita, and we are so impressed with the studio and all it has to offer. The teachers foster a true love for dance; specifically ballet. The performances we have attended have been beautifully choreographed, showcasing classically trained dancers and amazing custom costumes. We feel so fortunate to be a part of such an incredible group.

Shonda Peterson

My girls love being apart of such an amazing company that brings dance schools around the community together. They have made life long friends from being in Nutcracker and Ballet in the Park. The Director David Justin is amazing. He inspires you to grow in your dancing skills, and knows how to bring the best dancer out of each individual. He is inspiring and encouraging. Ballet Wichita knows how important the arts are to a community, and makes it attainable to everyone in a positive environment.

Dj Hall

Attended the Nutcracker on Dec 16, 2023. For a small ballet company BW had a good performance.

We were extremely disappointed BW does not at least offer attendees a paper Playbill. I collect them from every performance I attend. BW is the only performing arts venue that did Not provide a paper Playbill. In addition. It was impossible to read the digital Playbill on my cell phone due to the dim lights in the theater and the phone screen size. In addition, I took my elderly mother with me and she is not electronically savvy, and also would not have been able to read it in the dim light and on a small phone screen even if she could figure it out.

In addition, we experienced a couple of trip hazards which caused my mother to fall not once, but twice. I also tripped on one of the same unlevel floors myself.

The performers did a good job though.

Liz W

I have been involved with Ballet Wichita in adult character roles since 2017 and while every year has been great, the 2021-2022 is my favorite season to be involved in. The Nutcracker is always a favorite of mine, yet Ballet in the Park might be my favorite BW experiences. I also take classes at the studio and find myself learning and growing each season. David Justin from KC Ballet has really challenged us to be thinking performers, and works to create a full theatrical experience. Additionally, Katie Andrusak, the company manager has been a key part of keeping BW running throughout these past few years.

Gregory Mistretta

My mother was a student of the (famed) School of the Performing Arts in New York. My father a professional musician of 18 years in the city as well. I come from an artistic family. Being a musician and artist myself, I can appreciate self expression and adaptation based on an individual's vision, as long as that vision doesn't jeopardize the classic nature or integrity of the original artist's masterpiece. It is my opinion that the new direction the Ballet Wichita has chosen to take with this year's Nutcracker, has done just that! They have compromised a Tchaikovsky classic, not with subtle artistic enhancements, but with personal, almost narcissistic, direction. If this is evidence of the new direction for the future of Ballet Wichita, then that is their right to exercise, but in response I will exercise my right to no longer support a local tradition that my family has enjoyed for so many years. Sad.

aubrey

ballet wichita is an amazing studio filled with hardworking staff and volunteers. i’ve been dancing here for four years and have loved my experience. i feel that i’ve learned so much while still having a fun time. our artistic director, David Justin is a creative genius. he and the rest of the staff and volunteers create the most detailed and beautiful shows. if you decide to visit, i hope you’ll enjoy ballet wichita as much as i have.

Anonymous Smith

There are a lot of conflicting reviews of Ballet Wichita from the past few years, so I thought I would clear up a few things:
Ballet Wichita has been providing the highest quality arts education and performance opportunities in the area for local dancers for the past 40+ years. As someone who has participated in their performances and outreach programs, I can personally say that choosing to be in Ballet Wichita's Nutcracker and other performances was one of the best life decisions I ever made. I made friendships that will last a lifetime, learned the value of discipline and diligence, learned to work past rejection and difficult people, and ultimately discovered something I am currently pursuing professionally.
That being said, Ballet Wichita has undergone a lot of recent changes. The longtime artistic director left 3 years ago, and threw the company for a loop. A temporary replacement was brought in from NY; many of the bad reviews on here are due to him and his "fresh" interpretation of the Nutcracker. His intention was to run Ballet Wichita as a professional company, but with the young age of most of the dancers and their commitments to other jobs and activities besides BW, this resulted in overtired dancers, overworked volunteers, and an ultimately crummy performance.
Things are getting better now. A new, permanent artistic director has been hired, and although he isn't perfect, he is infinitely better than the NY debacle. The company is working to add classes, increase performances, and improve outreach. So, please don't let two years' worth of poor reviews be the reason you don't send your kid to BW or choose not to see the Nutcracker this year. Your continued support is what will help BW recover.