Serving the High Country Since 1992
High Country Youth Ballet, Inc. (HCYB), established in 1992, is a non-profit corporation formed for the purpose of promoting the cultural enrichment of youth and adults in Mitchell, Avery and Yancey Counties of North Carolina. HCYB seeks to foster an appreciation for ballet, music and other arts in and around Yancey, Mitchell and Avery Counties through the active engagement of children, adolescents, teenagers and adults in ballet and musical productions.
In 1989, the idea to form an organization to promote the arts in the tri-county area of Western North Carolina was first conceived by Lucy Wilson. Her idea generated a spark among the dance community at Gary Walker Dance Academy in Spruce Pine, North Carolina, and HCYB was formed. With their sights set on staging The Nutcracker ballet, the founding Board of Directors Jeanne Tyner, Lucy Wilson, and Violet Miller set to work raising funds, enlisting volunteers, and constructing sets, props and costumes for its first public performance. In December 1990, HCYB staged its first production of The Nutcracker under the artistic direction of Gary Walker at Mountain Heritage High School in Burnsville, NC.
In 1998, Beverly Shurley (The Dance Center) acquired the studio in Spruce Pine, enabling The Nutcracker tradition to continue for the next fourteen years. Upon seeing her youngest students graduate from high school, Ms. Beverly retired from teaching and passed the torch onto Laura Curtis Hodges. The studio became known as Appalachian Dance Theatre and audiences continued to enjoy the magic of The Nutcracker each holiday season. In 2015, the last HCYB production of The Nutcracker was performed. After that time, the studio changed ownership, and the cherished ballet was not performed again before the studio closed its doors in May 2019.
In 2023, eight years after the last performance of The Nutcracker, HCYB found a new home at Blue Ridge Performing Arts Academy in Newland, NC. A new Board of Directors has formed, and under the artistic direction of Kelly Perry, The Nutcracker will once again become a High Country holiday tradition. As a former student herself at both The Dance Center and Appalachian Dance Theatre as well as danced many roles in the HCYB productions of The Nutcracker, Miss Kelly understands the importance of the arts and the significant role HCYB has played within the communities of Avery, Mitchell, and Yancey counties. Miss Kelly is excited and committed to see this holiday tradition continue.
Over the last thirty-four years, HCYB has given our community the occasion to enjoy the beauty, artistry, and grandeur of The Nutcracker ballet. This production has afforded our local children and adults alike the opportunity to perform on stage, create memories, and form lasting relationships. Dancers have also had the privilege of working alongside professional actors and dancers who participated in HCYB performances throughout the years.
The December 2024 Nutcracker production will debut in Hayes Auditorium on the campus of Lees-McRae College. High Country Youth Ballet looks forward to sponsoring its thirteenth biennial production of The Nutcracker and hopes to continue this holiday tradition for many years to come.
In 1989, the idea to form an organization to promote the arts in the tri-county area of Western North Carolina was first conceived by Lucy Wilson. Her idea generated a spark among the dance community at Gary Walker Dance Academy in Spruce Pine, North Carolina, and HCYB was formed. With their sights set on staging The Nutcracker ballet, the founding Board of Directors Jeanne Tyner, Lucy Wilson, and Violet Miller set to work raising funds, enlisting volunteers, and constructing sets, props and costumes for its first public performance. In December 1990, HCYB staged its first production of The Nutcracker under the artistic direction of Gary Walker at Mountain Heritage High School in Burnsville, NC.
In 1998, Beverly Shurley (The Dance Center) acquired the studio in Spruce Pine, enabling The Nutcracker tradition to continue for the next fourteen years. Upon seeing her youngest students graduate from high school, Ms. Beverly retired from teaching and passed the torch onto Laura Curtis Hodges. The studio became known as Appalachian Dance Theatre and audiences continued to enjoy the magic of The Nutcracker each holiday season. In 2015, the last HCYB production of The Nutcracker was performed. After that time, the studio changed ownership, and the cherished ballet was not performed again before the studio closed its doors in May 2019.
In 2023, eight years after the last performance of The Nutcracker, HCYB found a new home at Blue Ridge Performing Arts Academy in Newland, NC. A new Board of Directors has formed, and under the artistic direction of Kelly Perry, The Nutcracker will once again become a High Country holiday tradition. As a former student herself at both The Dance Center and Appalachian Dance Theatre as well as danced many roles in the HCYB productions of The Nutcracker, Miss Kelly understands the importance of the arts and the significant role HCYB has played within the communities of Avery, Mitchell, and Yancey counties. Miss Kelly is excited and committed to see this holiday tradition continue.
Over the last thirty-four years, HCYB has given our community the occasion to enjoy the beauty, artistry, and grandeur of The Nutcracker ballet. This production has afforded our local children and adults alike the opportunity to perform on stage, create memories, and form lasting relationships. Dancers have also had the privilege of working alongside professional actors and dancers who participated in HCYB performances throughout the years.
The December 2024 Nutcracker production will debut in Hayes Auditorium on the campus of Lees-McRae College. High Country Youth Ballet looks forward to sponsoring its thirteenth biennial production of The Nutcracker and hopes to continue this holiday tradition for many years to come.
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Enriching Lives through Dance and the Arts