Community Events and Outreach
Community Performances:
Each year the Harford Ballet Company performs at numerous community events throughout Harford County and the state of Maryland. In Fall 2012, the company performed at the Dance Conservatory of Maryland Open House, The Bel Air Festival for the Arts at Shamrock Park, and several Tiddlywinks Outreach events.
The company invites you to come take part in these events celebrating the arts and showcasing the professional performances of the Harford Ballet Company. Please see our performances page for the schedule of HBC Community Performances.
Pre-school Outreach:
HBC has developed a Nutcracker Outreach Program for pre-school children held at the Harford Day School in December. HBC invites children, ages 2 through 6 years old, from Harford County child care facilities and Kindergarten programs to attend an age appropriate performance that introduces children to the magic of live theater. This show includes excerpts from the Nutcracker ballet which are performed as a narrator explains the story of Clara and her magical toy. After the performance, costumed dancers lead the children to a decorated Tea Party area for refreshments.
K-12 Outreach Events:
HBC has has also provided outreach performances to Aberdeen High School and Patterson Mill High School in an effort to open the world of ballet to a larger group of teenagers and young adults. These productions are usually excerpts from classical and contemporary ballets including a questions and answer period with performers following the show. This event has been called, "the crown jewel of the season" by the former Harford County Public Schools Superintendant, Dr. Jackie Haas.
Charitable Donations:
HBC has donated proceeds from our main stage performances to help support the Family Tree, a non-profit organization committed to strengthening families and heightening the awareness of child abuse and neglect throughout the state of Maryland. Since its inception, HBC has raised approximately $6,500 for the benefit of the Family Tree.
This year, HBC again takes up partnership with the Empty Stocking Fund. This charity is 90% volunteer operated, helping to distribute presents to poor children who would otherwise not receive gifts for the holidays. Our holiday Nutcracker performance is particularly fitting for this organization. HBC now accepts toy donations from audience members which are taken to the Empty Stocking Fund so that underprivileged children and families can still experience the joys of the holiday season.
In continuation of our outreach goals, HBC regularly provides blocks of tickets to performances to the Edgewater Village Center and other organizations and charities throughouth the County. Without HBC taking the initiative to facilitate the attendance of these underprivileged children, most would simply not have this opportunity to be inspired and educated by a professional theater performance.