Center Stage For Five Decades
By Ashley Charest
Photos by Addison Vest
Reaching 50 years is a milestone achieved by only a small percentage of Kansas organizations. This season, Ballet Midwest celebrates half a century serving Northeast Kansas. Company dancers at Ballet Midwest perform much of the same choreography as professional-level companies, helping these dancers prepare to take the next step in their training.
From ballet demonstrations and school lectures to performances at the Topeka & Shawnee County Public Library’s Story Time, Ballet Midwest has spent decades bringing dance into the community. The company also participates in events such as EasterFest, the Topeka Performing Arts Center’s gingerbread display, and a day of dance at the Topeka Zoo, all while supporting other nonprofit organizations throughout Northeast Kansas.
THE FOUNDING
Ballet Midwest was founded in 1977 by Barbara Ebert, who discovered her love of ballet in Topeka but recognized a lack of local opportunities for pre-professional training and performances. She believed Topeka’s strong support for the arts deserved a civic ballet company, especially for young dancers who otherwise had to travel to Wichita or Kansas City for advanced training.
“My mom loves ballet, and her dream was to give Topeka an exceptional dance studio and ballet company that would elevate Northeast Kansas and bring one more arts component to her hometown,” said Lacee Sandgren, Ballet Midwest artistic director and owner of Barbara’s Conservatory of Dance. “I’m sure in her imagination the company would make it to 50 years, but we all know that a dream takes hard work to make it a reality and she did that.”
After earning her degree in ballet at the University of Utah, Barbara returned to town and expanded the preschool and primary dance program her mom founded in Topeka. She directed performances of The Nutcracker with support from Dance Arts of Topeka prior to the founding of Ballet Midwest in 1977.
Forty founders each donated $100 to launch the company. Its inaugural performance was July 22, 1977, at White Concert Hall on Washburn University’s campus. Ballet Midwest presented its first Nutcracker that December, followed by additional productions including Sleeping Beauty and its anniversary gala.
FAMILY TIES
The support that helped launch Ballet Midwest continues today. Parents volunteer backstage, design costumes, serve on the Ballet Midwest board and even step onstage as auxiliary cast members. Fifty years later, former dancers are returning as parents and grandparents of current company members, creating generations of families connected through dance.
Perhaps the most significant family tie is between Barbara and her daughter Lacee, who grew up literally at the dance studio. Just days old, Lacee made her debut as the first Nutcracker baby, beginning a tradition that continues to this day with four babies from the Ballet Midwest family “performing” every Nutcracker.
As a Ballet Midwest dancer, Lacee performed numerous lead roles before earning a dance degree from the University of Missouri-Kansas City and dancing professionally with a Seattle-based company.
“I always knew that my end job would be teaching dance, but before I did that, I knew I needed to get my degree in dance and dance professionally,” Lacee said. “While I enjoyed my time dancing, really living in that professional dance world helped me understand the ins and outs of productions from a dancer’s standpoint. That made me a stronger artistic director but also gives me a perspective to help some of my dancers that wish to dance professionally. I hope the advice and insight I can give them gives them a leg up in auditioning and ultimately helps guide them once they become professional dancers themselves.”
In 2014, Lacee became co-director of Ballet Midwest and led alongside her mother through the 40th Anniversary Season in 2017. Almost 100 former dancers came to honor Barbara in her final spring ballet as artistic director. In the following season, Lacee took over as sole director and eventually took 100% ownership of Barbara’s Conservatory of Dance, the home studio of Ballet Midwest.
While closely connected, the two organizations serve different purposes. Barbara’s Conservatory provides dance instruction, while Ballet Midwest operates as a nonprofit civic dance company. Dancers audition for Ballet Midwest and spend the season preparing for performances and community outreach. Company members may train at any studio, with dancers participating from communities including Kansas City, Manhattan, Emporia and Lawrence.
In addition, Ballet Midwest has been honored to tour The Nutcracker from beyond Topeka, performing in Concordia, Junction City, Emporia, Salina, Kansas City, Gardner and Atchison. Touring allows audiences outside of Topeka to experience classical ballet while giving company dancers the opportunity to perform in a variety of venues and stage settings.
Because only 5% of dancers pursue professional careers, Ballet Midwest focuses on developing the whole dancer, emphasizing endurance, artistry, leadership, and community involvement. With approximately 75% of the company composed of dancers under the age of 18, mentorship plays a key role in supporting and helping dancers grow.
“Mentorship is key in the relationship,” said Lacee. “The dancers really open up about their thoughts, fears and lives, and over time, the dancers and their instructors become a true family.”
THE 50TH SEASON
Ballet Midwest’s Golden Season kicked off with Wildly Creative: Arts with the Animals at the Topeka Zoo, bringing together area arts and community organizations for performances and activities.
The traditional season begins with the longest-running Nutcracker in Northeast Kansas. Ballet Midwest’s Nutcracker returns December 11-13, 2026, to the Topeka Performing Arts Center with new costumes, sets and backdrops. Nutcracker Noel, a special anniversary celebration, will accompany the Friday evening performance.
“Imagining the 50th Nutcracker has been years in the making, but for me I think the star on top of the tree for this season will be the alumni dancers that come back to support and participate alongside our current dancers,” Lacee said. “This golden anniversary is sure to be a joyful reunion. That’s what dancing is about and I look forward to watching that unfold this season.”
Ballet Midwest will bring back to stage its very first spring ballet, Sleeping Beauty, April 17-18, 2027. Young children are invited to a special narrated and abbreviated version of the ballet on Saturday afternoon. Anniversary celebrations will continue with a special Briar Rose Tea Party.
To cap off the Golden Season, Ballet Midwest will host a dinner and mixed-repertory gala performance on June 25, 2027. The gala will feature rarely performed works alongside new choreography. Featured pieces include Pas de Quatre, Pachelbel’s Canon in D, Grasslands (an original ballet created for Ballet Midwest in the early years) and a piece choreographed by former Ballet Midwest dancer Daniel Mangairacino, set to music he composed for this celebration.
“It is amazing to see the dedication necessary of all the dancers to bring these ballets to life,” said Steve Bergstrom, Ballet Midwest president. “It’s rewarding to witness the progression of the company dancers each year knowing that the training they receive creates work habits that will lead to their success later in life, whether as professional dancers or in any other endeavor they choose to pursue.”
