Santa Ana : Nonprofit Ballet Troupe for Teens Will Perform

The St. Joseph Ballet Co., a local nonprofit troupe offering inner-city teen-agers the opportunity to learn and perform classical dance, will perform in concert tonight and Saturday night.

Performances for the concert, “Release,” are scheduled for 8 p.m. both nights at the Santa Ana City Hall Annex, Ross Street and Santa Ana Boulevard.

The St. Joseph Ballet Co. was formed two years ago by Sister Beth Burns, a member of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Orange, and administratively is still a one-woman show. Sister Beth, a trained ballerina, is also the troupe’s only instructor and choreographer.

The ballet company offers beginning and advanced classes four afternoons a week at the Episcopal Church of the Messiah on Bush Street.

Dancers who can afford it pay $10 a month for lessons. Scholarships are available for those who cannot, and practice outfits and costumes are provided for everyone. The company attracted more than 100 girls and boys in its first year.

Earlier this week, the company was awarded a one-time grant of $10,000 by the Orange County Board of Supervisors. Supervisor Roger Stanton will present a check to Sister Beth at tonight’s performance.

For more information on the company or “Release,” call 541-8314.