BalletMet Hosts Latvian Artist Through Cultural Exchange

Inta Balode of Latvia, a manager of the Latvian Association of Professional Contemporary Dance Choreographers and the Olga Zitluhina Dance Company, is residing in Columbus and working with BalletMet through Nov. 7.

CEC ArtsLink is an international arts service organization that supports cultural exchange between the United States and Central Europe, Russia and Eurasia through residencies, projects and independent projects. Residencies place artists and arts managers from abroad at nonprofit arts organizations in the U.S. for five weeks. Recipients apply and are selected through a panel review, while host organizations such as BalletMet are chosen by CEC staff.

Throughout her residency, Balode has interacted with each department of BalletMet, bringing her unique perspective to productions, administration, outreach and more. BalletMet Executive Director Cheri Mitchell said she is enthusiastic about the partnership.

“This is an incredible opportunity for BalletMet and our community,” Mitchell said. “I am learning much from Inta and hope to provide her a valuable and beneficial experience.” Balode explained contemporary dance surfaced in Latvia only 10 years ago, after the country’s Soviet occupation. As Balode works to foster the field in Latvia, she said she appreciates the chance to observe BalletMet, now celebrating its 30th anniversary season.

“BalletMet is an organization with excellent structure, management and years of experience in producing and presenting high quality dance performances,” Balode said. “At the same time, BalletMet’s people are as enthusiastic, open-minded and creative as being in the business for the first day. BalletMet’s insight and my inventive and intuitive work for the emerging art form [of contemporary dance] is the perfect combination for mutual exchange.”

INTA BALODE is a Project Manager for the Latvian Association of Professional Contemporary Dance Choreographers, as well as co-manager of the Olga Zitluhina Dance Company, one of the principal contemporary companies in Latvia. She is responsible for all fundraising and managerial functions and contributes to the research and creative input of productions themselves. Additionally, she writes on dance for the Latvian National newspaper NRA.

With an annual budget of $5 million, BalletMet Columbus ranks among the nation’s 15 largest dance companies, and its Dance Academy ranks among the five largest professional dance-training centers. Since its inception in 1978, BalletMet has added 134 company premieres to its repertoire and produced 111 world premieres. It has also developed DanceReach, a series of educational and outreach programs that serve 40,000 people annually, as well as a Community Outreach Scholarship program that provides full tuition for talented minority and underserved youth. -- www.balletmet.org