As a publicly-registered nonprofit, Friends of the Rockville Civic Ballet (FRCB) serves the Rockville Civic Ballet family as well as the broader Rockville and neighboring communities. The FRCB is like a PTA or Booster Club for the RCB. Our work is motivated by a desire to make the art of ballet accessible to all, bringing its beauty to persons young and old and inspiring young people to gain a lifelong love of the arts. The primary mission of the FRCB is to support the Artistic Leadership of the RCB and its performances and programs through volunteer work on RCB’s operations and fundraising. Our mission will have as one of its goals to preserve the works of the RCB’s repertoire and thus secure the continuity of the company. The FRCB provides its members the unique opportunity to engage more deeply with the art of dance and to help preserve RCB’s inclusiveness, diversity, and unique bond of community. Among the future goals of the FRCB are bringing ballet presentations to schools and public spaces; providing scholarship help for dance classes; providing material support (shoes or ballet gear) to students who may need it; acquiring instructional materials for the ballet teachers; preserving costumes, sets, and props; and preserving the works of the company’s repertoire. The FRCB is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit. Your donations are tax-deductible.

Ballet For All

The murders of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and George Floyd brought to national attention the racial inequalities and injustice that exists in our country. The Board of the FRCB wants to make it clear that racism has no place within our community and that we stand firmly with the Black community in denouncing and rejecting systemic racism and pronouncing that Black Lives Matter.

The killings in Atlanta that claimed the lives of eight, including six women from the Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) community, were a frightening reminder of the discrimination this community has faced. The FRCB condemns these acts of violence and we are appalled at the increase in hate speech directed towards members of the AAPI community.

These events have caused us to reflect on the very founding of the Rockville Civic Ballet and the core of our identity. The creation of the RCB was motivated by the desire to ensure equal access to ballet for all in our community. It is incumbent upon each of us to work towards continuing to make our dance community ever more inclusive and one where all feel welcome. These are the values upon which the RCB was founded, and they continue to guide our work today. The RCB and the FRCB have always believed in Ballet for All. The RCB welcomes individuals of all races, identities, physical appearances, abilities, ages and backgrounds. The past few years have been extraordinarily difficult. The SARS-CoV2 pandemic caused a global health crisis that has disproportionately affected people of color, triggered increased harassment of Asian Americans, and resulted in heavy loss of life and economic hardships in our communities. We are all connected by our common humanity. When some in our community suffer, we are all affected. The FRCB vows to use our platform to address inequities. The FRCB is fortunate to have a diverse community, including members of the AAPI community who are an integral part of the FRCB family. We are committed to celebrating black culture by elevating and amplifying the contributions of black dancers to the art of ballet. We are exploring ways to recruit even more dancers from diverse backgrounds to the RCB and expand the accessibility of our scholarships. We are committed to ensuring that the RCB’s productions continue to represent the diversity present and growing within our dance company and celebrate the diversity of the wider community.