Dance has always called to Michael and Olivia Viator.
And now the couple is fulfilling a dream by creating Renovate Ballet, a professional company with a pre-professional training component.
“I’ve always had this idea that I could possibly do it one day,” said Michael Viator, an Augusta native who grew up on area stages performing with and choreographing for the Columbia County Ballet, now known as the Augusta Ballet.
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As a teenager, he spent a couple of summers at Ballet Magnificat!, a Jackson, Miss.-based ballet company with an emphasis of faith-based dance productions. He later joined its company and traveled the United States and to parts of Asia.
He joined Ballet Magnificat! in 2015 and met his wife and fellow dancer, Olivia.
After dancing with Ballet Magnificat! several years, they spent a couple of years in Iowa working as directors of a pre-professional program before they returning to Michael Viator’s hometown last summer.
Renovate Ballet will consist of two levels – corps de ballet and professional. Both levels will perform together.
The company will offer professional dance training in areas of ballet technique, pointe, contemporary, conditioning and original choreography.
“The world strives for excellence,” he said. “Why shouldn’t we strive for more excellence since it’s for the Lord?”
Not only will there be the training element, but performance will be at the heart of the company. Renovate Ballet’s faith-based performances will be “for the purpose of encouraging audiences and sharing the Gospel,” according to a news release.
The company is in the organizing phase and has details to be worked out, but Michael Viator said he hopes to begin classes in the fall.
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Olivia Viator said they plan to perform at churches and theaters and won’t be limited to the Augusta area. There are hopes to travel with their shows.
“We’re already thinking about our full length productions,” she said.
The first auditions will be held Feb. 26. Additional dates are March 4 and March 12.
To learn more, email renovateballet@gmail.com or call (706) 842-8221.
Charmain Z. Brackett is the managing editor for The Augusta Press. Reach her at charmain@theaugustapress.com
