The Aiken Civic Ballet recently celebrated its 50th year, making it South Carolina’s longest-operating dance company.
During the Christmas season, they host the Nutcracker Tea at the Aiken Historical Museum and present the beloved Nutcracker ballet held at USCA’s Etherredge Center. Both are wildly popular.
Tara Reeder, ACBC President and Chair of the Nutcracker Tea said, “You’d think we were selling tickets to a Taylor Swift concert for this weekend’s tea. We added a sitting for a total of four with 88 guests at each and the tea still sold out.”
Reeder, whose daughter Lauren is a ballerina, is passionate about the program.
“It’s an investment in young people and teaches poise and confidence,” she said. “You get way more out of it than what you put in.”
The Aiken Civic Ballet Company also plays a role in economic impact as part of the burgeoning arts scene in Aiken County and across South Carolina. USC conducted a study analyzing data from the U.S. Census and numbers from the Commerce Department associated with the arts. The results revealed that creative enterprise in the state boasts an impact of $9.7 billion.
The report also found that the arts in South Carolina:
- support 115,000 jobs
- are responsible for $3.8 billion in labor income
- generate $269 million in tax revenue.
The statewide economic impact is impressive and may be the star on the tree, but local partnerships pay dividends through the success of ACBC programs. Theater students from USC Aiken, the Aiken Symphony Orchestra, and countless hours of volunteering from the Board of Directors have sustained the mission to promote education and develop life skills through the discipline of dance.
Andrew Siders, the owner of Dave’s Grill & Grocery, is one of many businesses that support ACBC with time and money.
“My wife is on the board, and we also donate financially because the Aiken Civic Ballet Company is an integral part of our community,” he said. “We’ve watched kids grow and flourish in the program. Aiken would be a lot poorer without them.”
As a nonprofit, The Aiken Civic Ballet Company relies on the donations of Siders and other individuals and businesses to operate. The first step is becoming a patron and supporting performances including The Nutcracker, which runs Friday, Dec. 16 through Sunday, Dec. 18. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit the Aiken Civic Ballet website.
Editor’s Note:
Mitzi Oxford is a veteran broadcaster and features writer who also worked at the same television station in Columbus, Georgia as Augusta’s Brad Means!
If you have a South Carolina story idea for Mitzi, please email her at mitzioxfordcreative@gmail.com.
