St. Joseph Ballet to Build Studio by Bowers
A new dance studio five times the size of St. Joseph Ballet’s current one will be built for at-risk children next to the Bowers Kidseum on Main Street.
The City Council approved the sale of property to the group this week, to the applause of more than 100 parents and children.
The 21,000-square-foot facility will provide room for an additional 200 children from low- and moderate-income households to learn and study in a safe environment.
Children in the program are selected for their financial need and risk of delinquent behavior. But the ballet studio currently must turn away 30% of the applicants.
St. Joseph Ballet was founded in 1983 by Beth Burns to provide free training for at-risk children. It provides 27,000 hours of free training each year and has reached more than 32,000 children.
“We owe you a debt of gratitude for what you have done for Santa Ana’s children,” Councilwoman Patricia A. McGuigan said.
The privately funded, $3.8-million project is expected to break ground in October and be completed by September 1999.
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