Stillwater Ballet Studio Raises Money to Give the Gift of Dance

A Stillwater ballet studio is helping local families afford dance lessons by selling Russian art during the Fall Colors Fine Art and Jazz Festival.

Belle Ballet will be selling ballet art by Russian artist Vasily Bratanyuk and Byzantine iconography by Stillwater artist Deb Korkula at their dance studio during .

“It is so breathtakingly beautiful,” said Cheri Bell, owner of Belle Ballet.

The procedes of the art sales will go toward dance scholarships that fund lessons for students who might not otherwise be able to study.

Bell started ballet dancing when she was just 10 years old. She worked at the dance studio to pay for her tuition, and said she might not have gotten the chance to dance if her teacher didn't let her work off the tuition.

Now Belle Ballet has teamed up with Youth Advantage, a nonprofit organization that provides financial need-based scholarships, gently-used athletic equipment and musical instruments so youth can have access to activities offered in Stillwater.

Belle Ballet offers a variety of classes including, preschool music and movement, Vaganova Russian ballet for all ages, jazz, belly dance and ballroom dancing.

She believes dance education opens doors to college scholarships.

The Russian art will be on display Saturday, Oct. 1 from 6 to 9 p.m. and Sunday, Oct. 2 from 1 to 5 p.m. at Belle Ballet studio.

Bell is also planning a tour program that will highlight the art of ballet in Russia. The tour will start in St. Petersburg during summer 2013.