Richmond Ballet 407 East Canal Street, Richmond, VA 23219

"Opening night is the night when you truly discover the rough spots in your work, the elusive, subtler flaws that evaded detection in rehearsal, but which will require attention if you are to achieve perfection: because perfection is, of course, always the goal of the artist, whatever their medium; and it occurred to me last night, watching the Richmond Ballet discover the little rough spots in their work as they revealed themselves in the moment of truth under the lights during their magnificent opening performance of this season’s Nutcracker, that we have already passed a threshold into an era in which what the Japanese refer to as “Wabe,” or “evidence of the master’s hand,” or, to put it in distinctly western terms, imperfection, is at an even higher premium than perfection. Perfection is now commonplace, banal, and sure evidence of artificial intelligence: imperfection, on the other hand, and specifically those imperfections inherent to the struggle toward creative perfection, are the epitome of human expression, and reveal the hope at the heart of any artistic endeavor. They are, in a phrase, beautifully human. And so I would like to extend my most profound gratitude to one and all who performed in last nights opening performance of the Richmond Ballet and Richmond Symphony Orchestra’s Nutcracker, and who perhaps discovered their own areas for improvement this season (trust me; only you know what they are . . we witnessed only pure magic), thank you for sharing that experience with us, and for once again reminding us of how wonderful it often is to be human. David VanDevelder adoring fan"

"I dance a Richmond Ballet. It is the best place I have ever been in my life. The School of Richmond Ballet’s staff and teacher are like my second family. I cannot imagine my life without SRB!"

"Lovely shows , wonderful staff , beautiful / kind dancers. This is a gem of a company. Diverse and innovative."

"We went to a studio performance of modern pieces and it was amazing. Such wonderful dancers and great choreography."

"My daughter has been dancing at the School of Richmond Ballet for 8 years. It's the best place to dance if your child has a strong interest in ballet specifically. The additional classes offered are wonderful as well. The teachers are amazing. The company and entire organization is one of Richmond's greatest treasures. The ballet studio itself is a beautiful piece of architecture, and they recently renovated the first and ground floors. It's conveniently located off the downtown expressway. We love Richmond Ballet."