23 September 2019
Celebration 20 Years of Evolution
A letter from Executive Director, Samantha Turner.
How did we get here?
This year, we celebrate 20 years of Ib Andersen as Ballet Arizona’s artistic director, a tenure that has transformed the company.
For those of you who have supported us since before 2000, you’ve witnessed the extraordinary evolution of the company’s artistry and repertoire. If you’ve moved to the Valley from one of our nation’s leading cultural centers, you were delighted to see that your new home offered ballet on par with what you’ve experienced elsewhere.
What makes that possible? Why you do, of course.
When we weren’t sure we could keep the doors open twenty years ago, you saved the day with an appeal to the community on television and fundraising gala produced in a little more than a week.
As our financial situation stabilized and a letter arrived asking you to renew your annual contribution, you mailed in your gift, as you did the prior year, and many more into the future, providing the critical sustaining support that helps us do what we do every day.
When the opportunity to create a new Nutcracker production to delight and inspire the Valley with magical costumes, sets and choreography, a foundation and corporate funder came forward to make it happen.
To bring a child or family in need to Symphony Hall to experience the delight of that magical production and other ballets, you enthusiastically responded with an Angel Night gift.
When the opportunity for a new building came, you voted yes on a city bond and participated in the capital campaign, creating one of the finest dance facilities in the Southwest.
As you considered the legacy you would leave behind, you thoughtfully remembered Ballet Arizona in your estate.
You have transformed Ballet Arizona and carry it into the future with your acts of generosity – both sustaining support year after year and special gifts that create new opportunities. Your investments in Ib Andersen, the dancers, faculty and staff of Ballet Arizona provide our community with a gift that delights the soul, enriches lives, and helps makes the Valley among the most desirable places to live.
Thank you for what you’ve made possible and what you’ll bring to the future.
