The return of Miss Jill: Longtime Ballet Wichita leader starts new dance company
Jill Landrith apparently just couldn’t quit doing ballet in Wichita.
Landrith, who was artistic director at Ballet Wichita (formerly Metropolitan Ballet of Wichita) for 20 years, retired from the company in 2017.
Now she’s back with an all-new ballet company, called Metropolitan Ballet, which will debut with a December production of “The Nutcracker.”
"I'm excited for all the wonderful changes coming along and seeing what great opportunities we can make happen," Landrith said when reached by phone Thursday afternoon.
Landrith will serve as artistic director of the new company.
She said earlier this year she was "asked if I'd be interested in doing another project," which turned out to be a new ballet company. She wouldn't say who approached her about the idea.
The name of the new company hearkens back to the history of ballet in Wichita — Landrith's mother, June, founded the Metropolitan Ballet of Wichita 44 years ago. The company rebranded itself Ballet Wichita in 2005.
"I wasn't the one who suggested Metropolitan Ballet (for the name of the new company), but I thought, well, it seems to go in the family," Landrith said.
The new company will include students from her own studio, from the community, and — she's hoping — from around the state.
The company has partnered with groups in Hutchinson, Great Bend, Newton and Salina in an attempt to draw regional talent, Landrith said.
"I've always really enjoyed the atmosphere of a community ballet company," Landrith said. "Every studio's dancers have so much to offer. Everyone brings a different flair and a different style."
In Wichita, dance rehearsals will be held at Safira's Center for World Dance, 2919 E. Kellogg Drive.
The new company's premiere production of "The Nutcracker" will be a traditional one, she said.
"I think that always stands the test of time so very well," Landrith said.
No one is saying yet where Metropolitan Ballet’s “Nutcracker” will be staged, but Landrith said she has already secured the location. She's also among the dance faculty at Wichita State University.
On its website, the dance company said it aims to have "multiple opportunities throughout the year for local dancers to perform in high caliber full-length ballets."
According to Landrith, Metropolitan Ballet has filed for 501(c)3 nonprofit status, and its application is "being processed as we speak."
Look for audition information later this month or in early July on the company's website, www.metropolitanballetwichita.com.
With the introduction of this new company, Wichita’s ballet scene is in a state of flux, especially when it comes to "The Nutcracker."
The Christmastime classic had traditionally been produced both by Friends University and Ballet Wichita.
The future of “The Nutcracker” at Friends University is unclear at the moment, as its longtime ballet instructors Stan and Sharon Rogers abruptly retired in May. The university currently has an open job posting seeking a nine-month temporary “Visiting Lecturer of Dance,” though it’s unclear if “The Nutcracker” will continue in its traditional form.
Last year, Ballet Wichita experimented with a “New Nutcracker” that attempted to modernize the traditional ballet – which garnered mixed reviews.
Ballet Wichita’s executive director said Thursday it plans to stage a traditional “Nutcracker” this year after conducting "extensive surveys about what the community wanted." It is also currently in contract negotiations with a new full-time artistic director.
“We kind of took a chance … last year, and it was not necessarily what we expected, or what the community expected,” said Sandy Wolter, executive director of Ballet Wichita. “We want to continue being innovative and produce things that are creative, but not mess around with the traditional ballets that people have an expectation of.”
This story was originally published June 14, 2018 at 6:05 PM with the headline "The return of Miss Jill: Longtime Ballet Wichita leader starts new dance company."