The Milwaukee Ballet will wrap up its Ballet Beat summer program on the stage of the new Indaba Band Shell at 1 p.m. Saturday at St. Ann Center for Intergenerational Care’s Bucyrus Campus. Ballet Beat brings free public performances by professional dancers to outdoor stages, libraries and community centers throughout the Greater Milwaukee area for interactive activities and performances.
Pre-show music, from 12 noon-1 p.m., will be performed by Yaya Kambaye, master drummer and founder of Xalaat Africa Drum and Dance for Life. The show will be followed by a reception with refreshments where the audience can meet and take photos with the dancers.
The Indaba (Swahili for “gathering place”) Band Shell is a brand-new entertainment venue opened on the Bucyrus Campus’ 7.5-acre grounds in early June. It features a hillside audience area with a capacity of 250 people and a shaded, wheelchair-accessible seating area in front of the stage. The band shell was built by St. Ann Center in partnership with Parklawn Assembly of God Church with the aim of bringing family-friendly entertainment to the north side community.
On Friday, dancers from Milwaukee Ballet II will present a free workshop for the children and adult clients in St. Ann Center’s day care program. Dancers will read ballet-themed stories to the youngsters and involve all ages in interactive dance activities.
Ballet Beat, now in its third year of programming, is made possible through partnerships with Greater Milwaukee Foundation, UPAF Connect and Milwaukee Brewers Community Foundation. It is supported in part by a grant from Milwaukee Arts Board and Wisconsin Arts Board with funds from the State of Wisconsin.
For more information about the Ballet Beat performance at the Indaba Band Shell, contact Gloria Miller at (414) 210-2428 or [email protected].