Ballet in Cleveland Makes New Home in PlayhouseSquare; Hosts Holiday Fundraiser and Events, 12/6 & 12

Ballet in Cleveland has an official Cleveland Home. As of November 26, 2012, Ballet in Cleveland is now officially located at 1621 Euclid Avenue, right in the heart of PlayhouseSquare. With a generous donation from Ostendorf Morris Company and help from the B.F. Keith Building, Ballet in Cleveland is now lodged in a piece of Cleveland architectural history.

The B.F. Keith Building is a skyscraper in downtown Cleveland, Ohio that was built in 1922. At the time of its construction, it was the tallest building in Cleveland, and currently stands as the 23rd-tallest building downtown.

Owner Edward Albee II named it in memory of B. F. Keith, his former business partner. As well as being the new home of Ballet In Cleveland, The Keith Building houses the Palace Theatre, Playhouse Square Center's second-largest theater, and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978.

It was vital for Ballet In Cleveland to be located at PlayhouseSquare, as its aim is to present the highest quality professional classical ballet performances and events, and what better location for our office than right in the middle of the second largest performing arts district in the country.

Ballet in Cleveland will be hosting an open house in its space (right next door to the Palace Theatre) before and after each performance of The Joffrey Ballet's production of The Nutcracker presented by The Cleveland Orchestra. Please stop in and see us while you're at PlayhouseSquare this weekend and enjoy complimentary refreshments and meet some of the Ballet In Cleveland staff. The street entrance is just to the right of The Palace Theatre with a side entrance in the foyer of the Keith Building entrance. Be sure to look for the ballet-themed Christmas trees in the window!

Learn more about Ballet In Cleveland at their website www.balletincleveland.org.

In other news, the Cleveland Professional 20-30 Club is hosting a Stuff the Stocking fundraiser for Ballet In Cleveland on Thursday, December 6, 2012, at the Anatomy Ultralounge 1299 W. 9th Street Cleveland, Ohio, from 5:30-8pm.

In celebration of the holiday season the 20/30 Club of Cleveland is holding their 8th Annual Stuff the Stocking fundraiser benefitting Ballet In Cleveland, a local and upcoming nonprofit looking to bring professional ballet companies to perform in Cleveland.

Come to mingle with the largest young professional group in Cleveland. Buy raffle tickets for chances to win items from the Cavs, Browns, and Indians, Vera Bradley items, packages from Cleveland Plus, iPad minis, PlayhouseSquare tickets, local restaurants gift cards and an exclusive prize package sponsored by the 20/30 Club.

There are several ways you can participate in this amazing fundraising opportunity. You can donate an item for a stocking which will be raffled off at the event (must be at least a $50 value) or you can purchase raffle tickets at the event to try and win a stocking.

Stuff The Stocking Raffle Ticket Prices: $1/ticket 6 tickets for $5 30 tickets for $20

Stockings Stuff thus far: 1. Positively Plus Passes (2) 2. Dobama Theatre passes 3. Various gift baskets 4. Signed memorabilia from the Browns 5. Jewelry Set 6. much more to come!..

Drink specials will be available from a full service bar and there will be a complimentary buffet. This is a great place to socialize and network with your friends and associates. For those wishing to see if they are on the naughty or nice list, there will be a visit from Santa Claus (Hint: Anyone making a donation to Ballet In Cleveland will automatically be put on the nice list).

The mission of the Cleveland 20/30 Club is to enhance the lives of Cleveland's young professionals by offering hundreds of opportunities each year to socialize, network, volunteer, and enjoy life in Cleveland. Ballet in Cleveland will receive 100% of all proceeds from the evening.

$3 valet parking will be available. If there are any questions or you would like to make a donation, please contact Leia Bradford at philanthropy@cleveland2030.org. Members and Non-Members of the 20/30 Young Professionals Club of Cleveland are welcome.

Next, Ballet in Cleveland will participate in the 3rd Annual Holiday Celebration of Cleveland's Diversity, presented by the Worldwide Intercultural Network on December 12, 2012 at Cleveland City Hall from 6:00-9:00 p.m. Ballet In Cleveland will be highlighting the international themes displayed in traditional classical ballets such as Coppelia, Swan Lake, and The Nutcracker.

This free event is an opportunity to get to know the wonderful people who enrich the vibrant tapestry of the Greater Cleveland region through culture, philanthropy, business collaborations and much more.

Worldwide Intercultural Network's mission is to bring the 119 ethnic communities together and invigorate the city through strategic plans to engage, educate and embrace each other and create opportunities for all. The night will include international music, ethnic food from our generous sponsoring restaurants like Kan Zaman and dancer performances from CSU Tango Club, Turkish Folk dancers and much more. For more information about the Worldwide Intercultural Network, visit win-cleveland.org.

Finally, Ballet In Cleveland is set to host two Master Classes by Ms. Allison DeBona as its first major event. On March 2, 2013, Ms. Allison DeBona of Ballet West and star of the CW's hit series Breaking Pointe will grace the floors of the Gund Dance Studio inside PlayhouseSquare's Idea Center for two master ballet classes. Registration will open on December 15, 2012, at www.balletincleveland.org.

Allison will be teaching a class for 8-12 year-old dancers and 13-18 year-old dancers. After each class, Allison will host a Q&A session after each class. Registration includes a Ballet in Cleveland dance bag, water bottle, nutrition bars from Real Food Barre, an autographed headshot of Allison, and a photo of Allison and the dancers in the class, and other surprises.

For more information, follow Ballet in Cleveland at the following until their website (www.balletincleveland.org) is launched: www.facebook.com/BalletInCleveland twitter:@balletincleve tumblr: http://balletincleveland.tumblr.com.

Ballet in Cleveland’s mission is to revitalize the presence of classical ballet in Cleveland, Ohio by presenting performances by the highest quality professional ballet companies as well as promoting the art through ballet-centered programming and events that not only foster interest but also educate and entertain the community. Ballet in Cleveland will highlight the importance, relevance, and entertaining artistry of professional classical ballet in the region.