Indiana Ballet Theatre (IBT) is a non-profit organization from Northwest Indiana. IBT has touched communities through dance for over 40 years. Founder and CEO, Gloria Tuohy, has had a plan to grow IBT and arts education throughout the community with the Classical Arts Centre.

The plan for the Classical Arts Centre (CAC) is to renew and renovate a former Sanatorium Nurses Home located in Crown Point, Ind., and transform it into a local center for all forms of art. This home is the last of its kind in the world that has not been torn down or renovated. To renovate this old building takes a lot of time and a lot of money, and finding investors to support the arts and IBT’s dream is difficult.

To help raise money to complete this mission, the founder has come up with a fundraising idea. This project is called Kid Power for the Arts. A donor has agreed to match the money IBT makes, and the goal is to make $500,000. The idea behind this fundraiser is that kids and adults alike can raise money to help support the arts in the community. You can follow the project on Facebook at Classical Arts Centre Project. This project begins on March 1 and ends on May 24 with a picnic party on the May 25 at the site of the Classical Arts Centre. IBT is hoping that around 500 children and adults will participate.

 The rewards for the kids who raise the most are a $2,000 college scholarship or age appropriate gift for first prize; a $1,000 college scholarship or age appropriate gift for second prize; a $500 cash prize for third place; and token gifts for all who participate.

IBT has been involved in many Northwestern Indiana communities for years. On Friday, April 12 at 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. and Saturday, April 13 at 7 p.m., IBT will be presenting “Sleeping Beauty”, here at Lake Central. This ballet tells the time-honored story of Aurora and Prince Desire and the battle of good versus evil, and many students from Lake Central will be performing in this ballet.