From an email:
Name Change: Gainesville Ballet School has been under the leadership of Elysabeth Muscat Hegab and Rafik Hegab since March of 2013.
The nonprofit professional company, Gainesville Ballet Company, debuted in 2014 with Carmina Burana. The professional company is changing its name to “Virginia State Ballet.” Gainesville Ballet School will keep its name for the time being.
Why the name change?
People frequently confuse Gainesville Ballet with two other Gainesville Ballets, one in Georgia and one in Florida.
Additionally, while the company is proudly located in Gainesville, Virginia, the reach of the company is much further than the immediate geographical area, and the Artistic Director and Company Dancers are an international group, coming from the Middle East, Central America, South America, and the Far East, in addition to the American Managing Director and American dancers.
The new name will eliminate any possible false association with the other Gainesville Ballets, and reflect the larger scope of the company. New websites and email addresses will be made available during the season.
For the time being, the same website will be used: https://gainesvilleballetcompany.org .
