CARE Ballet’s excellence has recently been recognized by the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs and the National Endowment for the Arts through their awarding of two grants totaling $16,250 for the fiscal year 2018-19. The grants are for operational expenses but must be matched by other private and corporate donations. “We are honored and thrilled to receive this level of support from these two important arts funders. We want children to fall in love with the art of ballet as dancers or audience members and these grants will help us to continue to grow an audience for classical ballet,” said Board chairman, Kate Cragwall. “Now we face the challenge of reaching out to community donors to match these grants, as no arts group today can exist solely on ticket sales or tuition. It takes a village to dance together,” added Cragwall. CARE’s next public performance will bring alive the magical world of Narnia with the production of “The Lion, Witch and The Wardrobe” on October 6th & 7th at the East Grand Rapids Performing Arts Center. The CARE Conservatory continues to offer a wide range of dance classes with an open enrollment policy. New students are welcome at any time and will be placed in the appropriate class level by age and performance abilities. In a fun effort to help move toward matching the $16,250 grants recently received, CARE will be throwing a Murder Mystery Dinner on the evening of Saturday, January 12, 2019. Save the date and stay tuned for more details about how to make your reservations.