November 4, 2020 | St. Lucie Cultural Alliance | Member Spotlight – Treasure Coast Ballet
Contributed by Melanie Staton of Blue Canary Agency
Member Spotlight – Treasure Coast Ballet
Treasure Coast Ballet is a non-profit organization that was started to promote the art of dance to all. Founded in 2004 and located in Port Saint Lucie, the mission is to bring culture and the fine art of dance to the community.
Lydia Oquendo alongside husband Rogelio Corrales, also owners of St. Lucie Ballet, both have many years of experience that they and fellow board members of Treasure Coast Ballet wish to share. All members have witnessed the impact that dance has had on their own children and they are aware of the costs associated with the sport, so they came together to make dance accessible to any and all who have the talent, passion, drive and commitment.
Specifically, Lydia and Rogelio both danced professionally, with Lydia dancing for Minnesota Ballet and Rogelio with Ballet Florida and Palm Beach Ballet. They both felt like the Treasure Coast area was in need of more cultural experiences with opportunities for children who wanted to pursue a career in Classical Ballet. “Treasure Coast Ballet gives the needed support to those students with the dreams of becoming a professional dancer,” Lydia gushes.
Treasure Coast Ballet has given several opportunities for students to perform many classical ballets locally. Providing free community shows, master classes and scholarships to dancers are just some of the many ways the organization fulfill their mission. Since 2017, the board voted and has offered scholarships that total over $75,000. Even during the recent COVID-19, they have continued to promote the art of dance to studios and dancers alike from Indian River County to Miami-Dade via support and scholarship.
Lydia says, “As we continue to travel the Treasure Coast, we spread the love and art of dance. We look to support all styles of dance and want to support our community in every way. We continue to partnerships with schools, studios, and dancers to bring the arts alive in Port St. Lucie and surrounding areas. We are happy to participate in mini-shows and activities around the Treasure Coast.” Providing stage time and other keys to success such as self-motivation, self-discipline, and etiquette to name a few, the Treasure Coast Ballet can be found on Facebook and Instagram. The organization will work with any student who has a passion for dance and this season they started a Pre-Professional Division that focuses on helping students get into a Company with more of an intense training and coaching for those 13 years and older, by audition only. Treasure Coast Ballet takes the time interviewing all teachers, looking into their experiences and the quality of the class they teach. They also groom some students in the art of teaching classical ballet as a way to give them more diversity as they head into Company Life. The organization is happy to be apart of the St. Lucie Cultural Alliance. We encourage you to learn more about what they have to offer in such a professional manner.
To learn more about the St. Lucie Cultural Alliance and the benefits of membership, please visit ArtStLucie.org, email: info@artstlucie.org or call 772-462-2783.
To learn more about Treasure Coast Ballet, visit www.st-lucie-ballet.com and the organization’s Facebook page.