Little girls who dream of tutus and tiaras, and little boys who love to jump, are invited to take a free Creative Movement class Wednesday, August 6, at 3:00 p.m. at the Metropolitan Ballet Theatre studio at 11460 Maxwell Rd., Alpharetta. The class is open to children ages three to six. Parents can meet MBT’s new teacher for Creative Movement and Trainee I students, Delasie Breen. Ms. Breen won the 1993 National Dance Arts competition and has danced with companies in Europe and the United States.

Parents are welcome to observe the class. Lemonade, coffee, and cookies will be served. Those wishing to register their children for ongoing classes may do so at the studio. Registration is also open for older students in both trainee and pre-professional levels. MBT, under the direction of Maniya Barredo, is widely recognized as Atlanta’s preeminent pre-professional ballet academy.

For directions or further information, call Metropolitan Ballet Theatre at 678-297-2800.

Metropolitan Ballet theatre, a pre-professional dance academy based in Alpharetta, has received a $15000 grant from an anonymous fund of the Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta. MBT, under the direction of founder and prima ballerina Maniya Barredo, will celebrate in 2008 its tenth year of training young dancers in classical ballet.

“Our mission has always been to instill in our students the highest standards of excellence and professionalism in their art,” says Ms. Barredo. “We are so grateful for this recognition and for the help that this grant will give us in continuing that mission.”

The Community Foundation, with more than $750 million in assets, connects donors, nonprofits, community leaders and other partners to make philanthropy happen, working with donors to support their philanthropic goals, and providing support to nonprofits through grants and guidance.

Students at Alpharetta’s Metropolitan Ballet Theatre will have a hard time deciding where to spend their summer vacations this year. Nineteen dancers who auditioned for various summer intensive dance programs have received over 125 invitations to the most prestigious ballet companies in the country, with many of the advanced students invited to 10 or more.

Boston Ballet accepted 14 students; American Ballet Theater 13. Joffrey Ballet invited 8 students to their New York workshop and 11 to Joffrey Midwest. Washington Ballet accepted 11 students; Kirov Academy 8; Nashville Ballet 12; Alabama Ballet 13. Kaatsban Extreme Ballet accepted 8, with all MBT students who auditioned invited to their advanced session. MBT dancers also received invitations to New York City Ballet’s School of American Ballet, Pacific Northwest, North Carolina School of the Arts, Orlando Ballet, Virginia School of the Arts, the Bolshoi Ballet Academy, Alonzo King’s Lines, Princeton Dance Theater, Harid Conservatory, and the Rock School.

Enjoy the new website and have a safe and wonderful Fourth of July.