INVITING MAGIC
With an ideal location on Main Street, Ballet Arkansas provides a place for dancers to share their gifts with the downtown community. Michael Fothergill, executive and artistic director, joined the organization in 2017, after retiring from performing with the Alabama Ballet.
“My favorite thing about downtown is the visible growth you can see and feel,” he said. “Much has changed since our arrival, and I hope that Little Rock will continue to grow, expand and embrace the arts in an inclusive and equitable way.”
Since Fothergill took the reins, Ballet Arkansas has nearly doubled its gross operating budget, eliminated its debt, tripled its programming, doubled its audience and built an array of partnerships, he said.
“We even rebranded the organization as a whole, but these things were possible through the support of a loving community and a very open-minded board and staff,” he added.
Fothergill said the downtown studio space provides opportunities for the organization to engage people from all walks of life by hosting events such as wine tastings and art exhibits. He added that it is wonderful that passersby can peek through the storefront windows to see a team of dancers putting together a production.
“We are trying to build an arts-embracing collective, and downtown is a great place for that to take place,” he said. “Because we have a footprint on Main Street, we welcome others to take a journey through the arts by joining us in our home. That’s how you really build a community — you invite them in.”