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Central Indiana Dance Ensemble (CIDE), is committed to providing an environment for aspiring young dancers to learn, practice and perform in a pre-professional atmosphere.
As part of meeting this commitment to students, CIDE is also a member a national organization called The Ballet Alliance. CIDE is one of only 17 companies selected from around the United States to be a part of that organization.
This is quite the honor for CIDE. A selected Adjudicator visited the company on its home turf in Carmel to evaluate training methods, choreography, and the organization as a non-profit. The Adjudicator then becomes the Artistic Director of the Festival, choosing works for four evenings of performances and continues the evaluation process throughout the performances.
The Ballet Alliance member companies, such as CIDE, value rigorous training methods and innovative choreography, which directly benefit the technical and artistic development of dancers. Member artistic directors have built a unique and lasting camaraderie that provides shared professional development and networking opportunities.
The members of the Ballet Alliance hold an annual four-day festival where participating dancers take master classes from renowned instructors, participate in dance-related seminars, perform for their peers, and forge new relationships. The festival brings in representatives from professional dance companies and universities throughout the nation who provide exposure to young dancers, as well as provide ongoing training to artistic directors, choreographers, faculty, and volunteers.
The Ballet Alliance anticipates more than 500 participants for this year’s festival. During the festival, member dancers are seen by recruiters from those world-class ballet schools, professional dance companies, and college and university dance programs. It is common for dancers to be awarded scholarships to summer intensives, early acceptance to higher education dance programs, and receive apprenticeships or professional contracts from artistic directors. Over $66,000 in scholarships were distributed at the 2019 festival.
This year’s Ballet Alliance Festival will take place April 3 to 6 in El Paso, Texas. CIDE will take 22 dancers to participate. CIDE was chosen to perform “In The Heart of The Mountain” choreographed by Dance Kaleidoscope’s Associate Artistic Director Stuart Lewis. To learn more about the festival, visit TheBalletAlliance.org.
CIDE is a Resident Company with The Center for the Performing Arts in Carmel and is the only pre-professional resident performing there. The Mixed Repertoire is made up of high school, middle school, and Elementary students aged 11 to 18.
Past students have been recipients of scholarships to many top dance companies and schools, including Boston Ballet, Miami City Ballet, and Pacific Northwest Ballet. Graduates of the company have gone on to join Richmond Ballet, Charlotte Ballet, Butler Ballet, and Indiana University Dance Theatre, to name a few.
CIDE Executive Director Suzann DeLay brings years of experience, expertise, and enthusiasm. Her daughter, Ashley Jacobs, serves as the co-artistic director along with Michael Casey Clark. Coupled with that of their other accomplished artistic directors and instructors, CIDE offers their dancers an environment in which to thrive both as dancers and as individuals.
About the Central Indiana Dance Ensemble
Central Indiana Dance Ensemble was founded in 1999 by Artistic Director Suzann DeLay. The company is committed to providing cultural and educational enrichment to the central Indiana community. The company provides an environment for aspiring young dancers to learn, practice and perform in a pre-professional atmosphere in a variety of dance forms. Promoting the arts through ongoing outreach programs provides CIDE’s members the opportunity to give back to the community. In 2006, CIDE received Honor Company status in the Regional Dance America association. To learn more, visit cidedance.org or follow along on Facebook.