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Explore > José Mateo Ballet Theatre > Story Archives
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my inspiration
Submitted by chantel, Boston
Jose Mateo Ballet School has been a treasure for me and my family.
I started dancing since the age of four with so many wonderful teachers at the JMBT. I admire the attention the school gives each student and the feeling of welcome to all types of dancers. The school is very diverse and the location is perfect.
We have been able to receive financial assistance which made it possible for me to continue dancing. I feel very connected with the school and its future as I am looking towards my senior year. One of my plans is to remain as a dancer at the school while attending a local university..
Jose Mateo and the Staff are the most wonderful people..
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Very high quality instruction in a wonderful space
Submitted by Ariella, Boston
What an amazing place! Ballet Theatre is a beautiful space where I have had the pleasure of taking class from some of the best teachers in the area. The teachers I have taken with at Ballet Theatre over the past 8 years are not only some of the most knowledgeable I have ever come on contact with, but also the most approachable and willing to convey their expertise to students of all ages.
It is clear that a love of ballet as an art form as well as enthusiasm for teaching, are what Jose Mateo values in his teachers and what he looks for when bringing capable instructors into the school.
Ballet Theatre is a very special place and holds immeasurable value for the Boston dance community.
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JMBT
Submitted by Sonja, West of Boston
I've been dancing at Jose's for nearly ten years now, and have loved practically every moment of it. The great teaching staff, the enthusiastic student body, and the gorgeous studio space have always been a source of inspiration for me and have allowed me to become a better dancer, and person through the important life lessons taught there. It is truly a second home. Winning this grant would allow the stained glass windows to inspire and motivate a new generation of young dancers.
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JMBT
Submitted by Hayli, West of Boston
When I first came to Jose Mateo Ballet Theatre in seventh grade, I was so amazed to be dancing in such a beautiful and welcoming environment. The friendly and supportive people combined with unique and inspiring facility made JMBT the perfect place for me to come to after school and do what I love, which is dance.
Now I am a senior in high school and soon will be graduation and become part of the network of the Young Dancers Program alumni. Ballet Theatre has always been an open community and I know that wherever life takes me I will always be welcomed to come back to Ballet Theatre at any time, whether it be to take classes or to see a show. I'm glad to be part of the Ballet Theatre community and to take part in such a wonderful organization.
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true to their mission
Submitted by Leelou, West of Boston
I have only been dancing here at JMBT a few months, and already I have been embraced and supported by this community. A late beginner to ballet, I am the oldest student in the Young Dancers Program, at 25. I didn't think that anywhere I would be treated with the same opportunity, training, and attention as other budding young ballerinas, because of how uncommon it is to start training as late as age 19. Yet kindness, respect, and equality grow from the walls at JMBT, and I am forever grateful. Please, please vote to restore this beautiful facility and support this vital community organization!
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Independence
Submitted by Lauren, West of Boston
"Be independent".
I have heard this phrase countless times from Mr. Mateo himself. Mr. Mateo, by implication, encourages his dancers to think on their feet and find the desire from within themselves to improve. The determination of these dancers unites them as one, a diverse group all fixated on self-improvement.
This idea of self-growth applies also to the Sanctuary Theatre itself. While we all love its current condition now, it could certainly use some improvements. The stain glass windows are at the top of this list, and the dancers definitely deserve new ones. These new windows also benefit the many people who use the church for religious reasons.
I am very fortunate to have Ballet Theatre so accessible to me. It is a wonderful organization in which size, shape, and other physical aspects of dancers don't matter. What counts is the desire to achieve on the part of the dancer.
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jmbt
Submitted by caitlyn, Boston
I have danced at jmbt for my entire life...not to mention that my mom danced in their company and is a teacher there as well. I watched rehearsals growing up, and now i participate in them. If it weren't for jmbt, i would not have had so many opportunities to perform, nor experience ballet in such a positive atmosphere. I have attended classes at jmbt in its many different venues, and each studio proved to be a bigger and better environment than the last. JMBT has been a second home to me, and I would love to express my gratitude, hopefully in the form of a much needed renovation.
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JMBT rocks
Submitted by Grace, Boston
I have been dancing since I was 3 and I joined JMBT at 4. I have so many friends there and during nutcracker season it is practically my second home. I even take classes during the summer there and they are really fun. The stained glass windows are really pretty, but last summer we couldn't practice in the room the windows were in (studio 2) because
they were leaking! I hope JMBT gets chosen.
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I love Ballet Theatre!
Submitted by Louisa, West of Boston
I have been dancing at JMBT since I was 3, ( 9 years ago.) I really love dancing there and would never consider dancing anywhere else. There are so many great people at JMBT, and I have so many friends there.
I am so lucky to have the opportunity to dance in those beautiful studios. Thank you Scott and Mr. Mateo for everything you've done for us! I love Ballet Theatre!
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Ballet for Everyone
Submitted by Lionel, Boston
It has been some time since I have worked with Ballet Theatre, Jose, and Scott, but I count them as true friends and consider my days working with them some of the best of my dance career. Working at Ballet Theatre allowed me to understand the level of commitment that this organization has to providing everyone with a positive and enduring experience in the classical arts. The approach is anything but staid and the results can be seen in the growth of the dancers or the smiles on the faces of the audience after a Ballet Theatre performance.
Whenever I visit the facilities, I am impressed by an organization that continues to reinvent itself creating stronger bonds with the dance community while providing an incredible artistic experience to the entire community. I have watched Jose and Scott continue to fulfill their vision of creating a space that touches the lives of dancers, students, parents, and the community at large with unforgettable experiences in the ballet arts. I envy the young dancers who will develop their skills supported by Jose Mateo Ballet Theatre and inspired by the beauty of those stained glass windows.
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More than a Building
Submitted by Aurelio Lopez, Boston
As a long time American Express Card Member I know that all these worthy participants are already winners. In being selected by the National Trust for Historic Preservation for efforts to preserve the Legacy of the past with Active Service now for the future. I wish them all the success they deserve and hope they are properly rewarded.
I strongly support Jose Mateo Ballet Theater; this place is a fantastic mixture of ancient and modern particles coming together in celebration of human unity. The building, ballet, talented artists, community joy, sharing diversity and truly dedicated individuals that always share time and talent with others. In particular Jose Mateo a catalyst with positive energy and vision. He truly represents the best of our community and serves as an inspiration to so many, especially to young Latinos in Massachusetts.
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Our Community
Submitted by Patricia, West of Boston
Ballet Theatre has been my home away from home for the past 7 years now. I first came to Ballet Theatre as a young, naive ballet student; not really understanding the true beauty (and the complexities involved in achieving that beauty) of the art form. I like to think that after studying for years under Mr. Mateo, Mary Thompson, Cosmin Marculetiu, Rachel Catanzariti, and so many more countless teachers, I have begun to learn a little bit more about truly understanding and appreciating the language of dance and ballet in particular. So many of my experiences from Ballet Theatre have shaped not only my studies in ballet, but my outlook on the world of dance in general and the power that dance can have on people.
The sense of community at Ballet Theatre I personally feel is unparalleled at any other dance organization I've ever been at. After going away to other dance schools to participate in summer intensives over the years, I am able to appreciate more fully how lucky we are to have the kind of close, tight-knit, and supportive group of people as we do here. In the end, I always felt myself longing for the stained glass windows and expansive studios of Ballet Theatre.
There are countless people who work so hard in dedicating themselves to the organization including Mr. Mateo himself, Scott Fraser, all of the staff, all of the dancers, all of the faculty, and all of the volunteers. I am so grateful to them for helping to create the wonderful Ballet Theatre community that I am so lucky to be a part of.
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Studio Space
Submitted by Sophia, Boston
I have been dancing at Jose Mateo Ballet theatre for three years now and the teachers, staff and other dancers have become part of my extended family. Part of what makes my dancing here so enjoyable is the amazing studios we are able to have classes in. The studios are spacious and the stained glass windows are part of what makes this space look so nice. Having the old stained glass windows replaced would help us continue to create a postive and relaxed atmosphere that can help us grow as people and dancers.
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My Jose Mateo Ballet Theatre Story
Submitted by Vaughn, Boston
Growing up I have always loved to dance and I also moved around a lot; but wherever I moved I always danced. After dancing in so many different dance studios you notice simalarities and differences between each of them. What I noticed about Jose's is that everyone who dances there LOVES to dance. Being around people who love to dance is amazing because it creates an atmosphere that inspires you to do what you also love to do (dance). I would hope that through Partners in Preservation they can help Jose's to remain a beautiful dancing and loving organization.
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My Second Home
Submitted by Julie, West of Boston
I first came to Ballet Theatre 6 years ago, when I was 11 years old. Since then JMBT has become my second home. When I leave school and come to ballet I feel like I am entering my second universe; there is something soothing about entering the studio, greeting my friends, and being welcomed by the odor of a mixture of sweat, pointe shoes, and hairspray every day. This place provides me with an essential creative, athletic, and intellectual outlet and a respite from the stresses of school and the normal world.
I have spent the past year or so recovering from an ankle injury, and I cannot imagine a more supportive, nurturing environment to experience the disappointment and frustration of being unable to dance in. Even when I could not participate in class and rehearsal, I wanted to be here. I knew that I would miss being in the studio and backstage at Nutcracker, and I found that even watching, learning, and helping from the sidelines was a rewarding experience. I am unendingly grateful to the staff and instructors at JMBT for being wonderfully supportive, understanding, and accomodating. I have never felt pressured to further injure myself by coming back too quickly, and my instructors have taken the time and thought to work me into our performances where I am able to participate. Moreover, it is wonderful as a student to be able to turn to my teachers, the professional dancers in the company, and the older dancers in the school for advice. There is a wealth of experience in this building, and we are fortunate to be members of an open community in which everyone helps support each other.
Over the years, JMBT has increased my love of dance and has helped me grow as both a dancer and a person. I know that I will be sure to keep this place a part of my life for years and years to come.
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Linking youth with the living passed
Submitted by scott, West of Boston
The windows at Ballet Theatre's home were installed in three discrete periods. There are 1867 windows in the Sanctuary (Studio 1) from Cook and Company, which a PIP grant would help restore. A magnificent 1890 Tiffany window graces Mass Ave and the old Parish Hall (Studio 2) and was restored in 2005. And in the early 1960's local artist Joe Ferguson contributed some stunning abstract windows in the Chapel commissioned by Dr. Samuel Miller, then Dean of Harvard Divinity School, honoring his sons killed in WWII.
Yesterday, Mr. Ferguson came to talk about his contributions to the collection of stained glass windows here. In addition to the visitors to the open houses, in the audience were about 20 kids from the school who dance under the windows every day. They were so impressed with Joe and understood, not only his windows but all the windows so much better. Looking into the future, I can see these children returning to the space telling there children and telling them about meeting Mr. Ferguson and teaching then about the stained glass that they danced under as children.
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My Home
Submitted by Bob, Boston
I came to Ballet Theatre in 2000 looking for a professional dance career. Only problem was, my previous training was not very good and I was too old. That did not matter. Mr. Mateo is one of the few very best teachers I have ever met, and he is also willing to give opportunity to everyone without prejudice. After a couple of years of very hard work, I did make it into the company.
It was a privilege to work with Mr. Mateo, to watch him make dances directly with dancers such as myself an others, to participate in that process. My entire time with the company felt like an apprenticeship, watching and learning from a real master of ballet; eventually I could begin to make dances myself. Much of the company's current standard repertory, I was part of it when it was originally made. Ballet does not get better than this!
I grew so much in life working with Ballet Theatre as well. I learned how to approach difficult problems diligently, day by day, without quitting in frustration. I learned how to be a real professional --- to know what you don't know. I learned the meaning of quality --- not perfection, but rather doing the best you can with the resources you have. I have taken these lessons into everything I do.
Ballet Theatre is truly my community and my home, and has remained so since I left the professional stage. It is a privilege to do what I can to ensure the long-term survival of the organization, and the ideals for which it stands.
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Partnerships
Submitted by Sue, West of Boston
I came to Old Cambridge Baptist Church twenty-five years ago, drawn to its history of social activism and its early committment to Gay and Lesbian activism. The building had been the home of The Daughters of Bilitis, one of the earliest Lesbian organizations, for approximately 20 years. The congregation was an early participant in the Gay Rights parade. I was inspired by the history of the church's involvement in many civil rights actions and its vibrant work with Central American refugees. In the late 1960's the congregation voted to turn over a significant chunk of its endowment to establish a fund to promote self-empowerment projects within the Black community.
Even a decade ago, visitors would enter this imposing stone neo-Gothic church and find the interior in sad shape. The small activist congregation had no means to maintain this historic building, nor to re-point the stone steeple. We needed a partner with shared values who could help us stop the building's deterioration. What we found in the Jose Mateo Ballet Theatre was much more. Removing the pews opened up the space and showed us what an architectural treasure we possessed. The staff of the ballet had an artistic vision of what the interior and exterior space could be. With this vision and with the help of loyal volunteers, skilled craftsmen, and staff from both organizations, the building is now breathtakingly beautiful inside and out. Today, community activists, dancers, tourists, and Spare Change vendors alike, sit on the new stone walls of the garden walk. They enjoy the breezes from the Charles River cooling the garden. The Jose Mateo Ballet Company has shown us that beauty and community service can nurture each other when we work together.
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Ballet Theatre, My Home
Submitted by Elisabeth, Boston
I came to Jose Mateo Ballet Theatre when I was 15 years old. I've been here for ten years now, and I can truely call it my home away from home. Iv'e been able to learn new things about my art, and push myself in a very comfortable, and natural way. I'm very greatful to Mr. Mateo for turning me into the dancer that I am today, and to all the other teachers and staff that have literally watched me grow up.
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Growing up at Jose Mateo's Ballet Theatre
Submitted by Molly, West of Boston
I've known that I wanted to study ballet since I was five years old. I came to Jose Mateo's Ballet Theatre at the age of thirteen and found encouragement and acceptance in the ballet classes. All my best friends growing up were at ballet.
One spring I saw the company perform and it changed my life forever. I was transformed from a teenager wondering what to do with my life, into a young adult ready to work hard toward my new goal of performing with this company. A year later I was an apprentice, a year after that I was in the company. I was performing in the same ballets that had inspired me! I had the privilege of working with Director, Teacher and Choreographer Mr. Jose Mateo. After some years I was invited to join the faculty and was proud to be able to teach Mr. Mateo's philosophies of ballet to children in the Young Dancer's Program from which I had graduated all those years before as well as to adults in the Open Classes.
My love of ballet and my dedication to Mr. Mateo's vision have been able to come together here, at Jose Mateo's Ballet Theatre. JMBT is not only a ballet school and company, it is a community and a family.
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Intensely Humanizing Environment
Submitted by Bob, Boston
Deep within the DNA of José Mateo Ballet Theatre is the belief that ballet REALLY IS for everyone. Starting from that premise, the organization has created created an incredibly humanizing environment for dance of the highest standards.
José Mateo Ballet Theatre walks the walk with diversity in all its forms. The school, widely recognized for the quality of its professional training, is open to ABSOLUTELY ANYONE who wants to improve at ballet and is willing to work hard --- regardless of age, body type, level of achievement or even perceived talent. Its professional company is unusually diverse --- with dancers of all ethnicities, shapes and sizes --- while maintaining a strong sense of unified purpose onstage.
This is a dance organization that is not just committed to high-quality art, but also to the overall health of its community. Most recently, it has launched the unique Dance for World Community initiative to go beyond the outreach programs that are state of the art today for arts organizations.
It is common for artists to feel they are serving the art; but at Ballet Theatre, art must ultimately serve people.
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José Mateo Ballet Theatre
Submitted by Josh, West of Boston
José Mateo Ballet Theatre is like a second home for me. During Christmas, when we are rehearsing The Nutcracker, I am at the studio every Saturday, Sunday, and sometimes other days for the whole day. I also take classes there, and so I am there more than twice a week. It's a sanctuary for all dancers. I remember that one evening I had a rehearsal for The Nutcracker, and there was a snowstorm going on outside. As soon as I walked in those doors, I could feel warmth pour all over me, and I felt right at home. I feel privileged to be able to dance with such an amazing company in such a beautiful building.
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Doves and Swans: Old Cambridge Baptist Church
Submitted by Sam, Boston
Old Cambridge Baptist Church is like a cliff wall that shows layer upon layer of history from the old baptismal font behind the altar, where I was baptized by total immersion at the age of sixteen, to the Corbusier windows in the front lobby to the warren of basement offices whose doors tell the story of how the Anabaptist tradition still pushes serious people to live according to their deepest beliefs, to the springy floor of the Jose Mateo stage, that launches dancers into the future. OCBC's role in the protest movement alone should guarantee its preservation; it is a delight to see Jose Mateo transforming that history with exuberant art and new community.
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Wonderful neighbor
Submitted by Sylvia, Boston
How lucky am I that my bay window overlooks the church parking lot where on cold Saturday mornings tiny children in pink tights, rubber boots and sometimes pink tutus run ahead of their mothers to ballet class in the Old Cambridge Baptist Church, where I also have taken adult ballet classes, excellently taught. To do plies and jetes in that vast, inspiring space, under the gorgeous stained glass window is a unique experience. And coming early, I could watch the older children's intermediate class, and try to spot the future dancers.
Surely this church, which gives space to a superb ballet school as well as its professional company (I've seen many remarkable performances here) is a special gathering place in the center of Cambridge--for ballet, religion, beautiful architecture, and the several organizations in the basement which help homeless people, new immigrants and human rights groups. Also, from my window, I daily watch Scott come out to study the garden when he and a dedicated volunteer do much planting and watering. The garden all around the church is a delight in all seasons. And if you walk along this part of Mass. Ave. at night, look up at the church's Tiffany window, lit from inside--glowing with yellow and lavendar--a treat for the soul!
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Jose Mateo Ballet Theater
Submitted by Bill, Boston
The Jose Mateo Ballet Theater is a unique part6 of the Boston cultural scene. Part ot this uniqueness comes from its setting. Here ballet can be njoyed with an intimacy and power impossible in conventional theatres. It is a very special and memorable experience.
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Twenty Years of Home
Submitted by Rosie, Boston
I came to JMBT in 1988 as a pianist looking for work. One of the pianists who worked there told me about Jose's Company and School and I decided to check it out.
After being finished at another job I decided to audition to work there on a Sunday in January with Guest Allegra Kent teaching the open class.
The rest was history and I am now Principal Pianist and have been for the past twenty years and love my time being there. i have always and still do consider JMBT my second home.
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OCBC as a Sanctuary Church
Submitted by jaswa, Boston
I think it's great that Old Cambridge Baptist Church now hosts the Jose Mateo Ballet Theatre. The church in the mid 1980s was part of the Sanctuary Movement, which welcomed political refugees from Central America to come under the sponsorship of a faith community and provide them a "pulpit" from which to tell the reality of their experience. OCBC provided sanctuary to a woman fro El Salvador who had been a union organizer and suffered for it. Through her testimony, thousands of people in the Boston area learned of what was happening in El Salvador and the role of the U.S. government in the oppressive regime of that era. What wonderful bookends!
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The grounds around the building
Submitted by GP, West of Boston
I work as a volunteer gardener for JMBT and the Old Cambridge Baptist Church. It has been a labor of love, many time repaid every time I work on the landscaping through the appreciative comments of passersby and people using the building who enjoy the garden, the flowers, the trees, the birds, and even the butterflies later in the summer. Some sit on the stone wall and eat lunch; droves of people stop by to ask about the history of the building and to take photos--many of them are visitors from other parts of the country and the world. I love talking to the vendors of Spare Change who come to pick up their weekly bundles of papers from their office in the basement of the building. They in turn are endlessly appreciative of what is currently growing and showing in the flower beds. There's nothing like the joyful cries of surprise and amazement of little children when they first spot the sunflowers growing in the flower bed under the Tiffany window towards the end of summer.
I's been a marvelous opportunity to be a part of the transformation of the building and the landscaping over the past 8 years and to be able to witness the hundreds of people week in and week out who use the building and enjoy its exterior as well.
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Mateo Ballet and its home
Submitted by Sally, West of Boston
Last night my husband and I saw the company perform in the glorious Sanctuary Theatre. What a treat to see such beautiful dancing in a glorious space that get more beautiful season after season as Jose Mateo Ballet Theatre continues to make improvements to its home. For those of you who have never seen the company, rush to get your tickets. Most shows sell out early and for good cause. The company that Mateo has created is as remarkable as its home Old Cambridge Baptist Church. Twenty diverse and highly skilled dancers, dancing the most exciting repertory in the area, in a space that celebrates humanity ,,, what more could anyone ask for.
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The Gardens at Ballet Theatre
Submitted by Marianne, Boston
Not only is Jose Mateo Ballet Theatre's home, Old Cambridge Baptist Church, my favorite building in Cambridge, but the gardens that surround it warm my soul. The massive gothic building is surronded by the most beautiful English gardens that are lush and lovingly tendered by two friendly volunteer gardeners. From April though November the building is awash in ever changing colors and textures. The site is an urban oasis in the bussling Harvard Square, filled with birds and butterflies that enjoy the garden as mush as I do. The stone wall under the Saphora tree is my favorite spot to eat lunch in Harvard Square.
Sitting in the garden, listening to the singing Church as the music from ballet classes spills out the beautiful building, is a sublime experience. Go visti soon, today the dafodills were in full bloom and it looks like the lilacs will be out before you know it.
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Ballet Theater`s First Nutcracker
Submitted by Ballet Mom, West of Boston
My daughter found Ballet Theater of Boston while visiting Boston. It was love at first site. She was priviledged to dance in Ballet Theater`s first Nutcracker and I was priviledged to help make the costumes. What a wonderful experience!
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Creative Dance
Submitted by Elizabeth, West of Boston
My daughter was introduced to ballet and dance before she could walk and as an infant was enthralled by the children's dance classes and the company rehersals at JMBT. Last year at age 3 she joined her first creative dance class. She loves it! Ms. Angela and Ms. Alice have been wonderful teachers. All the staff at the school have been great. The church is a wonderful venue to promote the Arts; such a beautiful and historic building. What a wonderful contribution to the Square! I am particularly fond of the extensive garden that has been cultivated on the site and that offers such beauty and serenity in the midst of the city. Bravo to JMBT for their contributions to the community.
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Last Fall's concert
Submitted by Peter, Boston
Jose Mateo Ballet Theatre presented a superlative concert last fall setting choreography to music of Henryk Gorecki and American Composer John Adams titled "Fearless Symmetries". The Adams work was a world premiere where the music was a vast pattern of rhythmic sequences for orchestra that the dancers matched every leap and twirl along the way. It was one of the most exciting experiences I've ever had at a ballet and having some of the seating close up practically put the audience in the very dance itself.
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MUSICIAN SUPPORT
Submitted by Marcia, Boston
The Jose Mateo Ballet Theater made it possible for me to produce and perform in a concert in 2008, "Sanctuary and Transformation: Social Justice at Old Cambridge Baptist Church." Their support, along with that of the members and friends of the Old Cambridge Baptist Church, was essential to this contribution to Cambridge history.
The Theater and the building itself contribute to three essential human necessities: the arts, spirituality, and social justice. In these times of economic insecurity, we need more reminders that it is our "inner resumes" that will save us.
Marcia Deihl
www.marciadeihl.com (see Music," Sanctuary and Transformation," with slide show).
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Why Jose Mateo Ballet Theatre
Submitted by Scott, West of Boston
I manage Jose Mateo Ballet Theatre and think, most days, I have the best job in the world. Everyday this space is filled with happy, healthy children learning, growing and building community through the arts. The professional dancers lend to the atmosphere where the creative process is valued and seen as important part of our humanity. Each Sunday, the original congregation hold worship services and advances an agenda of action for social justice that goes back over 150 years.
The basement of the building is filled with organization serving those most in need in our community. Adbar, helps new immigrants assimilate into a new culture, Space Change publishes and distributes a news paper for the homeless, and the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force works for the equality of all people.
Each day our beautiful home is full of laughter, singing and dancing as we make the world a better place by investing in our children, the creative process, and those most in need in our community.
Our entire community takes part in the stewardship of our home and share in the responsibility to ensure that we leave our home in better repair than we find it so that it may continue as a place where the fabric of community is woven well into the future.
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