Northwest Florida Ballet launches 2020 Keep Dancing Membership Drive

Drive to be in place of regular season performances

The Northwest Florida Ballet (NFB) 2020 Keep Dancing Membership Drive has started and will take place through Dec. 4. to mitigate the financial impact of COVID-19 on the organization. This fundraising effort provides patrons with the opportunity to join at two levels and receive benefits, including access to archived productions plus discounts on 2021–22 season subscriptions.

Like many nonprofits and arts organizations around the country, NFB has suffered devastating effects on funding mechanisms as the pandemic required cancellations of performances with large, indoor audiences. Additionally, to protect the health and safety of students and staff, the organization made significant alterations to close contact and in-person dance instruction, leading to fewer students. These drastic shifts collectively led to a 25% revenue loss in community school tuition and a 30% loss in general operating funds.

“We are grateful to all those that have supported NFB through these difficult times. We continue to be committed to training our young dancers through the NFB Académie and our community school while planning for an eventual return to the stage for our company dancers and orchestra. Joining as a member today will help ensure our future continued success,” said NFB Artistic Director and CEO Todd Eric Allen.

Patrons have two membership options to select from, including an individual $100 level and a $200 group level. Both include access to archived performances of The Nutcracker from 2019 and Peter Pan from 2017, plus a tiered discount on season subscriptions for the 2021–22 season. Both productions feature live music by the NFB Symphony Orchestra, conducted by David Ott. Members select their preferred performance dates during checkout, and access is provided through digital codes using an online theater experience platform.

“It is our pleasure to share these two audience favorites with our members. We are hopeful that we can perform in the late spring or early summer in an outdoor venue and look forward to our 2021–22 season at the Mattie Kelly Arts Center,” said Allen.

Please visit NFBallet.org/join or NFB’s Facebook page to join or to learn more information related to the membership drive. Additional information about potential future performances and plans for the 2021–22 season will be posted as it becomes available. NFB is sponsored in part by the Florida Division of Cultural Affairs.

Celebrating 51 years, the Northwest Florida Ballet (NFB) is a regionally recognized semi-professional ballet company and school committed to excellence in its training programs and the professional artistry of its productions. The organization’s educational endeavors also epitomize excellence with the nationally acclaimed Académie, an integrated arts and education program for students in third through eighth-grade. Additionally, NFB operates the dance intensive Pre-Professional Program for ninth through 12th-grade students preparing for a career in dance. The NFB is led by Artistic Director and CEO Todd Eric Allen, an area native. The organization is funded in part by the Florida Division of Cultural Affairs.