THE ARTS: Melbourne City Ballet Theatre Bringing the State Ballet Theatre of Ukraine to the Space Coast

MCBT produces ballet productions featuring stars from around the world

BREVARD COUNTY • MELBOURNE, FLORIDA – The Melbourne City Ballet Theatre will bring 55 professional dancers of the State Ballet Theatre of Ukraine to the Space Coast this winter for two world-class cultural experiences right here in Melbourne.

As a not-for-profit corporation, MCBT produces ballet productions featuring stars from around the world performing right here on the Space Coast.

This holiday season MCBT brings you an opportunity to experience performances by the dancers of the State Ballet Theatre of Ukraine performing alongside local students right here at the King Center for Performing Arts. No travel required.

The first show, Cinderella, will feature a live symphonic orchestra by Satellite Symphonic Orchestra. This will be the first time in Brevard’s history that the production is coming to the King Center for the Performing Arts.

Two performances will be held on December 31 one at 1:30 p.m. and the other at 6:30 p.m. Then, on January 6, at 6:30 p.m., MCBT, the State Ballet Theatre of Ukraine and Space Coast Symphony Orchestra presents the most in-demand ballet in the world, Swan Lake.

Tickets for these productions can be purchased at KingCenter.com

Not only will both productions feature professional dancers and live orchestra, but also local dancers who auditioned for roles in these productions earlier this year. These local dancers range in age from 3 years old and up.

Open auditions for these roles were held this past summer and the local dancers have been practicing since early fall. Dancers come from all over Brevard and several different dance studios to participate in the productions.

Additionally, family of performing local dancers work in a volunteer capacity to raise money to support the productions, advertise, fit costumes, keep the backstage running smoothly and more.

Information about open auditions and community involvement can be found at MCBT’s website, MelbourneCityBallettheatre.com.

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MCBT is led by Artistic Directors, Artem Yachmennikov and Ekaterina Vaganova-Yachmennikova, together with the board and local volunteers Artem and Ekaterina opened We Dance Academies (formerly known as Melbourne City Dance Center) in August 2017 in Melbourne.

The following year they founded MCBT, a not-for-profit year-round ballet company. Artem graduated from the Vaganova Ballet Academy in St. Petersburg, Russia and has an extensive dance resume including being the first soloist with the world-famous Bolshoi Theater; a soloist at The Mariinsky Theater (Kirov); a principal dancer at the Dutch National Ballet; and a principal dancer at San Francisco Ballet.

Ekaterina graduated from the Moscow University of Culture. She is the great-grand daughter of the world-famous ballerina, Agrippina Vaganova, who created the well-known method of professional training for ballet dancers all around the world.

Ekaterina is a three-time World Champion ballroom dancer. She has been a pro teacher on Dancing with The Stars in Italy for five seasons and choreographer on So You Think You Can Dance in Russia.

MCBT is committed to community outreach for those with limited access to the dance arts. MCBT has partnered with local Brookdale Senior Living Community centers to provide monthly dance performances for residents, with Indialantic Elementary School to educate students about ballet’s mental and physical health benefits through physical education classes, and with the American Muscle Car Museum on multiple occasions to benefit local not-for-profit organizations.

Information about open auditions and community involvement can be found at MCBT’s website, MelbourneCityBallettheatre.com.

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