KrigorStudio's Ballet Teacher, Nina Yoshida, will be Taking the Stage in The Nutcracker - Outdoors!

RI gives $100,000 to build temporary outdoor stage for Festival Ballet’s Nutcracker

Festival Ballet Providence (FBP) is proud to announce a once in a generation project for a time like no other. On October 1, 2020, Rhode Island Governor Gina Raimondo and RI Commerce announced Festival Ballet is the recipient of a $100,000 grant award to fund the creation of a temporary outdoor performing arts venue in the heart of the East Side of Providence for three weeks in December. The grant, part of the State’s “Take It Outside” Initiative, would fund the construction of a state-of-the-art outdoor concert stage, socially distanced seating, and outdoor heating elements for the comfort of both audiences and performers.

“This is a great day for the arts in Rhode Island,” said Kathleen Breen Combes, FBP Executive Director. “In funding this project, the state is allowing us to hire dozens of artists, technicians and arts professionals who have been out of work for months due to the pandemic.” The concert space will occupy the entire parking lot of FBP’s East Side Facility (825 Hope St., Providence RI) and will feature socially distanced seating, outdoor heaters for the comfort of audience members, and a 32 foot wide elevated concert stage with sprung floor, heating system and a roof rising 25 feet off the ground for the rigging of lights and scenic elements.

“In funding this ambitious proposal and project, we deeply appreciate the message from the government leadership about how vital and essential the arts are in the recovery from this economic crisis,” said Alan Weiss, FBP Board President.

The Company will use the venue as a space to present a reimagining of the beloved holiday classic, The Nutcracker, which has been an annual tradition in Providence for more than 40 years. “It’s going to be quite a different production than what audiences are used to seeing at PPAC, but these are unique times,” said Breen Combes. “I’m excited to see all of our community of artists, from the Company dancers to choreographers, rehearsal directors, and students, rise to the occasion in this special opportunity.” The Company will also make the space available when not in use to outside performing arts organizations to use for their own holiday programming. “We are delighted to continue our longstanding tradition of collaborating with our artistic community and bringing artists together,” Breen Combes said.

Additionally, the grant includes major purchases of goods such as a modular sprung floor system which will allow FBP to continue using the grant funding for future programming, such as outdoor classes and performances in the spring and summer, in-school presentations, and site-specific dance experiences.

The project will mean the return of many of the FBP Company of dancers and crew who have largely been furloughed since March when the pandemic struck, and all shows were cancelled. “In providing this performing space, the State is allowing us to bring back some of the holiday traditions and magic that our community knows and loves,” Breen Combes said, adding, “With indoor theaters across our state dark, I’m delighted that this performance space will illuminate and inspire audiences and artists in this unique period for our entire community.”