The Wolcott Children’s Ballet: In the Backwoods, Dancing Their Hearts Out
It’s a story grounded in a real labor of love sore muscles, hand-stitched costumes, and dreams of grace and aspirations fulfilled
From the small hamlet of Wolcott, Vermont, ballet director Kennet Oberly has parlayed a shoestring budget into a first-class ballet troupe. The group of schoolchildren, practicing into the night at an out-of-plumb town hall, has succeeded in spite of the fact that resources are scarce indeed. Subsisting on small donations, minuscule grants and modest fees, Kennet and his dancers have traveled the roads of northern New England, drawing standing-room-only crowds — and creating the magic of inspired performance — wherever they arrive.