Constance Hardinge is seen with her yellow roses.
Bristol Ballet was started in 1948 by Constance Hardinge as a school for the training of young people in the art of dance. Its first home was over a pool hall near where the Bristol, Virginia courthouse is now. Later it moved to the Masonic Hall where it was located for more than 50 years.
In 1959, Hardinge founded a performing company, comprised of 12 young dancers - 10 girls and two boys – between the ages of 13 and 15. This company grew in stature and became one of the leading regional ballet companies in the nation. It has been a member of the Southeastern Regional Ballet Association, had many renowned guest teachers (e.g. Robert Barnette, founder of the Atlanta Ballet) and choreographers and trained many dancers who have gone on to professional dance careers. In 1965, Maria Tallchief, noted American ballerina and founder of the Chicago City Ballet, visited Bristol Ballet to select a handful of young students to receive Ford Foundation Scholarships to pay their tuition for studies at Bristol Ballet.
In 1966 Bristol Ballet produced the area’s first “Nutcracker” ballet, which has become a long-standing favorite of children and adults alike. Other productions have received regional acclaim, such as “Mountain Ballad,” “The Cloistered,” “Recess” – all original works by Hardinge. Noted choreographers have set pieces on the company including Robert Barnette, Richard and Christina Munro and Norbert Vesack.
In 1972, Hardinge was named head of the dance department of Virginia Intermont College, and the ballet company expanded to include dancers studying at VIC as well as local members. The company grew to its largest and gained its greatest recognition those years. VIC’s Dance Department grew to about 60, the most the college had ever seen.
In 1986 the company returned to its origins and was largely a regional company of local dancers, still receiving recognition for its outstanding work in training dancers and educating the public about dance.
A year after Hardinge’s death in 1992, the school and company were incorporated as one non-profit entity, run by a board of directors and an artistic director. Michele Plescia returned to the Tri-Cities area in 2004 and became the Artistic Director. Upon her retirement as Artistic Director July 1, 2022, Amanda Hairston and Moira Frazier Ostrander took the reins as head of Bristol Ballet. Plescia remains on staff as artistic director emeritus and as a part-time instructor.
Bristol Ballet’s mission is to train young dancers and to educate people about the art of dance through exceptional ballet training for youth and through productions for the public. Throughout its long history, the organization has served tens of thousands of young dancers and audience members. Children are the main focus of its educational efforts; however, educating and entertaining all of the public are important as well.
In 2018 the Virginia Commission for the Arts, during its 50th Anniversary celebrations, recognized Bristol Ballet as a Bedrock Institution, for its more than 70-year history of providing quality dance education and entertainment.
“The VCA recognizes bedrock institutions as those that ‘have been in existence more than 10 years, have demonstrated a benefit to the economic health and/or tourism in the community, exhibit artistic excellence, celebrate diversity and showcase Virginia as a cultural destination.’ Bristol Ballet is honored to have been recognized in this way, as it shows that our community and our state values the arts access, programming and education we offer. We are proud to be recognized alongside so many outstanding organizations and talented artists in Virginia. We are thrilled to see the continued growth of the art and culture of the region, and to continue to be a part of it,” says Moira Frazier Ostrander, artistic director and school of ballet director.
“I did a lot of research for our 75th anniversary season, and I found out a lot of interesting things surrounding our founding year, 1948. We were founded the same year as New York City Ballet. Also, when we were founded, there were only four professional ballet companies in existence (American Ballet Theatre, San Francisco Ballet, Atlanta Ballet and Washington Ballet),” Hairston says.
For more information, visit www.bristolballet.org.
