Ballet Quad Cities
For 26 years and counting, Ballet Quad Cities has evolved to become a premier professional ballet company that also uses dance to teach students important academic and life skills. One of the Midwest region’s premiere ballet organizations, more than 35,000 people each year enjoy a performance or outreach program. As the longest running resident ballet company in Iowa and western Illinois and one of only 100 in the nation, Ballet Quad Cities provides outstanding artistic entertainment and innovative and imaginative programs for people of all ages, backgrounds, sizes and abilities.
Each season offers outstanding performances that audiences can see nowhere else in the country, performed by professional dancers who come from all over the country to make the Quad Cities their home. Outreach programs in local schools, libraries, youth centers, senior communities, and organizations that serve people with disabilities use ballet to inspire literacy and reading, encourage social-emotional development, help students develop life skills, and motivate physical activity. For example, “The Nutcracker” helps Davenport and Rock Island third graders meet academic standards in music; Dance Me A Story encourages people of all ages and abilities to read through dance.
As a nonprofit company, Ballet Quad Cities makes art accessible and affordable to everyone. Their board has committed to give all areas students an opportunity to enjoy live ballet, keep ticket prices affordable, and use ballet and its professional dancers to provide educational outreach to local students.
Wastyn & Associates has had the privilege of partnering with Ballet Quad Cities since 2014 to identify potential grant funding sources and secure grant funds that to date total more than $1 million for their priority projects.
“I can’t say enough about the value Wastyn and Associates brings to Ballet Quad Cities. Linda is a trusted part of our team, bringing a wealth of experience and knowledge to every grant we apply for. She is a great listener, always putting my thoughts and idea’s first before beginning the process for applying for funds. Her system for keeping grant files and records up to date is second to none, an important feature for a not-for-profit with a small staff.”