Founder to Take Sabbatical

St. Joseph Ballet Company founder, artistic director and choreographer Beth Burns said Thursday that she will take a sabbatical this summer “to refresh and re-energize so I have even more (energy) to give to the children.”

Burns, who has headed the children’s dance school and troupe since creating it in 1983, said she will be gone from June 1 through Sept. 12. During that time she plans to attend arts festivals in Charlotte, N.C., Salzburg, Austria, and Edinburgh, Scotland and a seminar at Colorado’s Aspen Institute.

St. Joseph’s administration will be taken over by Burns’ assistant Gail Bongcaras and community relations coordinator Sara Slevcove, Burns said. Dance classes she teaches will be conducted by four instructors who regularly teach at the school.