Salt Creek Ballet looking for new home; fundraiser gala April 26
Salt Creek Ballet is a Westmont institution after spending 32 years in the same location at 98 East Chicago Ave.
But the group's lease will expire soon and organizers of the nonprofit say it's time to build or rent a new home.
With that in mind, the group is hoping to boost its capital fundraising campaign with a "Raising the Barre, Building Our Future" gala April 26 at Hinsdale Golf Club.
The event is open to the public and will include a student ballet performance in addition to auctions and raffles for international vacations, weekend getaways, leather jackets, beauty products and sports tickets.
Lauren Kavanaugh is an alumni of the dance company and serves on the facilities committee. She said donors already have raised about half the designated monetary goal, but she was unable to disclose that amount.
"Whether we rent or buy depends on what we find and what we're able to negotiate," she said.
Kavanaugh said priorities for the new facility include space for five ballet studios, storage for costumes and sets, office space for employees, a parent lounge and high ceilings. The company currently has four studios but its building offers limited storage and needs updating.
"The facilities committee will make a presentation to the entire board and go to a vote," Kavanaugh said, which will include drawings of renovation plans, financial aspects, and terms of ownership and lease.
The group is seeking a location in or near Westmont and the new building eventually will become its sole facility.
Roughly 270 students currently use the ballet facility, ranging from 2-year-olds to adults.
There is a concentration of students from 4:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., Executive Director Maria Brooks said, when space particularly becomes an issue in dressing rooms and other areas.
"I don't want to sound like we need it, but more space would be nice and I think we could make use of it," she said.
Organizers plan to hold additional classes and hope to someday install a new production they have in mind.
"We've looked at anywhere from old retail space to industrial space. It really runs the gamut," Brooks said.
The group last hosted a gala around five years ago when it raised roughly $250,000 for traditional Russian costumes and sets for its annual Nutcracker performance, said Sergey Kozadayev, artistic director for the company.
"It's a big talk for us, but it's not the first time we've done it," he said. "It was unthinkable, but we made it."
Brooks said costumes can be hard to locate on a given day in the current facility and the landlord allows the group to use an upstairs office for extra space.
"We have these beautiful, stunning costumes that are literally squished in storage," Brooks said.
Kavanaugh said the costumes need to be stored indoors with certain climate restrictions while sets can be stored outside the facility.
Students can spend four years in the company and during that time seldom perform the same show more than once, with the exception of the "Nutcracker." While they practice at the Westmont facility, they perform at venues throughout the region.
Brooks said parents and students are optimistic and understanding about the current space crunch.
"There is unfinished space at the back of the building that is a makeshift lunchroom. We call it a bistro to make the girls feel fancy," Brooks said with a smile.
Kavanaugh said she, Brooks and Kozadayev have relationships with the company that span decades.
"The school was strong then and is strong now," she said, "but we want to elevate it into the next generation."
If you go
What: "Raising the Barre, Building Our Future" Le Jardin Gala
Who: Salt Creek Ballet
When: 6:30 p.m. Friday, April 26
Where: Hinsdale Golf Club, 140 Chicago Ave., Clarendon Hills
Cost: $185
Info: saltcreekballet.org