Founded in 1973, The Shreveport Metropolitan Ballet has been entertaining and enriching our community continuously for more than 50 years. One of the longest running arts organizations in Shreveport, The Shreveport Metropolitan Ballet, or SMB, performs two full-length ballets each year. The Nutcracker, which SMB has been performing now for 40 years, is presented each year during the holiday season. Each spring, another full-length classic is performed; we’ll be treated to The Wizard of Oz this spring of 2025.
Being a nonprofit, SMB relies on fundraising. Much of it accomplished by the dancers, board members secure corporate sponsorships, as well. The ballet also has grants through the Community Foundation and Shreveport Regional Arts Council, or SRAC. Perhaps you were able to check out one of SMB’s biggest fundraisers, Ballet After Dark, last month at The Chef’s Table. The annual wine tasting and silent auction is always a fun and exciting event, with all proceeds going to SMB. Check out SMB’s Facebook page, which is full of other ways to donate; a fundraising event at Texas Roadhouse this fall is just one example of many. Never be afraid to support the arts!
Shreveport/Bossier has always had a great and underrated arts community. From live theater to the annual Film Prize Fest, we are loaded with talent in this region. Ballet dancers are not only super talented, but they must be super in-shape, as well. Board President Krysta Cyr says ballet is a “very strong sport, one that requires a lot of core strength.”
“Our dancers train during the summer, as well,” says Cyr. “We’ve had dancers go to Kansas to train and Florida to train to make sure they are staying strong.”
Cyr was elected president of the board in 2021 after serving as a general board member and treasurer. She says the president position is a good one for her because of her natural neutrality: “I’ve never danced before,” she said, “and I don’t have family members involved with it.”
SMB has its own studio space and office located on North Hearne Avenue in Shreveport where the dancers go each Saturday for a couple of hours to rehearse. Leading those rehearsals is Kathryn Drake McDowell, SMB Artistic Director. She was the interim Artistic Director for the 2021-2022 season and has been leading the charge since.
Originally from Shreveport and a dancer herself, McDowell earned a scholarship to the University of Oklahoma. While in Norman, she majored in dance and minored in math. She danced with OU for four years and traveled to France twice while in college. After graduating, she was with the Lexington Ballet Company in Kentucky for three seasons and even had a stint in Seoul, South Korea as part of the Universal Ballet Company.
International! McDowell officially retired as a dancer in 2005. Her full-time job is teaching AP Calculus at Caddo Magnet High School.
Left brain AND right brain. Right now, she has the dancers rehearsing full runthroughs of The Nutcracker, which opens Saturday, December 14th at 6:30 P.M., with a matinee the following day at 2:30. All shows will be at Shreveport’s Riverview Hall & Theater. Friday, Dec 13, SMB will present three performances exclusively for schools. Students will be bussed to the performances and given the opportunity to participate in a questionand- answer portion after each performance.
McDowell says The Nutcracker is “a great show for third graders; that’s such a good age to get exposed to that. “In the first act, they get to see the party scene and all the pretty costumes. Then, they are introduced to the soldiers and all the lights.”
Ballet, like any type of live theater, is great for not only the audience but also for the performers. “There is absolutely nothing like live theater,” says McDowell. “Whether it’s ballet, a symphony or a musical, there is nothing like the relationship between the audience and the performers. Especially for us, we engage the audience in a different way because we don’t talk.”
“We get to take you to a different place for two hours,” says McDowell. “Ballet is a relief, an expression for me, for the dancers and for the audience. “It’s almost therapeutic for us. No matter what the dancers have going on, whether it be family stuff or body image issues, we get to leave it all at the door.”
SMB has two companies of dancers, a junior and senior company, that consists of dancers ages 10 and up.
Most of the dancers are middle and high school students. For the big shows, they incorporate younger dancers, ages 5 and up. They have been rehearsing for The Nutcracker since mid-August. And come performance day, McDowell will be right there with the dancers backstage. She is not one of those directors who likes to watch from the audience. “I am always backstage during the performances,” McDowell says. “I am super-invested in my girls. I know this girl over here needs a pep talk or someone needs this. Most of them are children.”
Back in October, McDowell and the dancers were at the Red River Revel for a performance featuring excerpts from Sleeping Beauty, Bach and even the Beatles.
On performance day at Riverview Theater, the ballet won’t be the only event happening. SMB will have their Fourth Annual Nutcracker Market going on, too, with vendors and opportunities for dancers, families and patrons to hang out. It’s a good chance to support local businesses before you do a pirouette over to the ballet! SMB will have a market for The Wizard of Oz in April, too. Tickets are going fast for The Nutcracker. Get them on SMB’s website or go to their Facebook page to purchase. They also have cool hoodies available for purchase on their website. A good time of year for those.
Support local art and local business vendors in mid- December at Riverview Theater. And don’t forget about The Wizard of Oz in the spring. No leotard required!
