The Cache Valley Civic Ballet is honored to offer the Al Smith Scholarship as an opportunity for one Sr. Company member and one Jr. Company member to receive funding for their Company tuition for the 2022-2023 season.
Al Smith is one of the key people who helped start and support the CVCB in 1982. He was a beloved faculty member in the Foreign Languages Department at USU, winning Instructor of the Year during his tenure. He loved dancing and performed many roles in the early days of the CVCB including the King in Sleeping Beauty and Drosselmeyer in The Nutcracker. He supported not only the vision of the ballet but also the details of making the dream a reality. He was a key member on the first Board of Directors and for years his family home stored the Costumes that had to move in and out of this basement, even late in the night after a performance. Al also provided important financial support during our initial fundraiser to raise the needed capital to purchase the Whittier Building. At that time the Board had only two weeks to raise the large down payment needed to secure the offer and save the Whittier Center from demolition Al shared his joy for dance and even the stage with his daughters. His love for ballet and for this community was critically important in the vision for and the creation of the CVCB. Sandra Emile is certain, "There would not even be a Cache Valley Civic Ballet without Al Smith."
The Al Smith Scholarship will be awarded on stage before the Nutcracker evening performance on Saturday, November 26 to the Company member who best represents the following criteria that Al Smith represents:
To be considered for the scholarship, please submit a 1-3 page essay to be read by Artistic Director Sandy Emile by 7 p.m. on October 20.
Please include the following in the essay: Why do you choose to study and perform the art of ballet? How has participation in ballet and CVCB impacted your life?
Please submit your essay here:
Every company member who submits an essay will be reviewed by rehearsal assistants and the Artistic Director from October 22 through November 19 for their commitment to best effort in rehearsals, demonstrating a positive nature toward themselves and others, demonstrating a cooperative attitude toward their peers and instructors, and demonstrating a community spirit in their willingness to do whatever it takes to get the rehearsal room prepared at the beginning and end of rehearsal.