Gwinnett Ballet Theatre Celebrates Grand Opening of New Facility

Gwinnett Ballet Theatre celebrated an official ribbon-cutting opening of its new facility in Lawrenceville on Saturday evening, November 17,  from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. Approximately 150 guests gathered at the spacious new studios located at 1800 Macleod Drive in Lawrenceville for food, fun and fundraising. Lawrenceville Mayor Judy Johnson and GBT Artistic Director Wade Walthall cut a red ribbon held by GBT ballerinas Taylor Adams and Kenzie Martin to indicate the official opening of the facility.

Other guests included Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce representative Angie Hollanda and Artworks! Gwinnett’s Stan Hall who participated in the ceremony.  Other notable guests included Jenny Savoy and Monika Nix from Lawrenceville’s Tourism and Trade Association, and Rakhi Narwani from Barron’s Fine Jewelry. A happy combination of dancers, parents, staff and friends enjoyed the event. A silent auction offered sensational prizes such as passes for the PGA Champions Tour next Spring and weekends at the Atlanta Hilton Northeast and the Omni in downtown Atlanta. A sensational basket filled with goodies from Lawrenceville merchants gathered by the Lawrenceville Tourism and Trade Association was snapped up to benefit the ballet. Other baskets themed with Nutcracker dances such as “Spanish,” “Russian,” and “Sugarplum” vied with baskets full of UGA and Georgia Tech items in small bidding wars throughout the evening.

One luck lady won a beautiful citrine and diamond ring donated by Barron’s Fine Jewelry at the Champagne Pour. At the end of the evening, guests enjoyed seeing a rehearsal first hand of “Waltz” from GBT’s upcoming Nutcracker production.

GBT’s the Nutcracker begins December 1 and runs through December 16 on weekends at the Gwinnett Performing Arts Center. Tickets are $13.50-$29.50 and can be purchased through any Ticketmaster location or at the Gwinnett Center Box Office. For more information about GBT or the Nutcracker, visit www.gwinnettballet.org or call770-237-0046.