PEORIA MAGAZINE September 2022

Auditions are held every year to fill spots for the 11 professional appointments. More than 30 dancers came to take ballet, contemporary and partner dance classes at Central Illinois Ballet during the last round of auditions, saidWilliams. Each one then had a chat sessionwith the entire company tomake sure they were a good fit. Dancers who are compat ible personally but lack technical skill may be offered a trainee position, allowing them to hone their skills and potentially advance to a career in professional ballet. “Our trainee programwould be a really good transition from high school to a professional company. We also have trainees that are doing college online,” Williams said. “They come every morning and take class with the company. They rehearse with the company. They’re in showswith

thecompany. Theyget cast inequal parts with the company,” Williams added. “So they get a taste and feel of what it’s like to be in a professional company, which in turn, gets them ready to actually be

of Oz . Then there’s the 10-year Gala , a retrospective of all the dances the com pany has performed in the last decade. Williams says that show decisions are usually driven by the student enthusiasm for them. Sweeney Todd , for example, was a passion project curated by Williams herself. “This is not just a job for us. It’s a life for us. …We’re not just dancing together. We’re creating something together as a group of people who care about each other and want to uplift each other and want to see each other succeed. So, I really do think that that translates itself on stage when you see our productions.”

in a professional company. “It’s a wonderful program.”

Meanwhile, company members dance at venues like retirement homes and libraries to bring ballet to people who might not get to see main stage performances. They also have a small theater built into the studiowhere they host performances for school groups. Each season, the Central Illinos Bal let has four main-stage shows. Darker, more gothic offerings such as Dracula or Phantom of the Opera are staples for their fall show. Holiday favorite The Nutcracker is the winter offering. Spring shows tend to be lighter themed selections, such as this season’s Wizard

Laurie Pillman is an author and freelance writer/editor, based in Peoria

SEPTEMBER 2022 PEORIA MAGAZINE 83