New Columbia County Ballet is a Real "Family Affair"

Former Ron Jones Academy of Ballet and Augusta Dance Theatre Combined to Create Expanded New Organization. Owners Ron and Kathleen Jones focus even more on the "total learning experience" of ballet for the academy and expand the new company's performances in 2006-2007 season.

Martinez, GA (PRWEB) August 11, 2006 -- If you want to “keep up with the Joneses” these days, you definitely have to stay on your toes---literally. Ron and Kathleen Jones, legendary figures in ballet in the CSRA for over two decades, recently launched the all-new Columbia County Ballet in their expanded and upgraded facility at 639 Fury’s Ferry Road that previously housed the Ron Jones Academy of Ballet and the Augusta Dance Theatre. “Even though we still serve the entire Central Savannah River Area, we are the official ballet company of the Columbia County Performing Arts Theatre,” explains Ron Jones, artistic director. “Furthermore, we’ve been here in Columbia County so long---and our roots run so deep here---that the name of the new organization was basically a no-brainer.”

Focus on “The Total Learning Experience” Drives Expansion and Upgrades

The newly-formed Columbia County Ballet is comprised of both a performing arm (The Columbia County Ballet Company) and a teaching academy (The Columbia County Ballet School), and recently revealed a new logo designed by fellow Columbia County resident Ruskin Yeargain. “Our new corporate identity captures the essence of who we are,” smiles Associate Artistic Director and Director of Pre-Ballet Kathleen Jones. “And our new slogan---‘Life’s a dance’---underscores our focus on ballet as a wonderful tool for helping our students of all ages enjoy life to the fullest---physically, mentally, emotionally, and socially.”

Mrs. Jones takes special pride in the fact that she and her husband are now teaching the second generation of some students who began with them in 1985. “It really means something when a young mother who studied with us in the eighties and early nineties now brings their children to us to learn ballet,” beams Kathleen Jones. “That’s when we know we’ve been doing something right.”

It’s a Family Affair

All three of Ron and Kathleen’s children (Jessica, Stephen, and Amy) have grown up in the family business, and are still involved on a regular basis. And the beat goes on: Jessica’s 7-year-old son Gabe is already an accomplished young ballet performance veteran, and odds are that his baby brother, Isaiah, will follow suit. But, according to Ron, the “family” extends far beyond their children and grandchildren: “Over many long, rewarding years of life experiences centered around ballet---and especially owing to my wonderful wife’s deep maternal instincts---we tend to become a tight-knit community, so much so that our students, staff, and their respective extended families have become part of one bigger family.”

Expanded, Upgraded Facilities Mean More Students and More Performances

Columbia County Ballet’s expanded and upgraded facilities will allow more students to perform publicly than ever before. “Our unique ‘floating’ professional dance floors reduce fatigue and lessen the chance of injuries to our students,” reports Ron Jones. “Plus, we’ve added more functional teaching space, which means our staff of professionally-trained instructors has more room to work with even more young men and women within the framework of our limited class sizes.” Mr. Jones was named “Columbia County Artist of the Year” in 2005.

The Joneses, renowned for their annual gala production of “The Roar of Love” at Augusta’s Bell Auditorium, are sticking by their long-running commitment that every student will have the opportunity to perform at some time during the year. “And everybody gets into the act for ‘The Roar of Love’ every spring,” laughs Kathleen Jones, who shepherds boys and girls from three-years-old and up through rehearsals and performances with the equanimity and love of a guardian angel. “This year we had 180 kids, teens, and adults on the stage for curtain call at The Bell, and we’ll probably have even more in 2007.”

More about Columbia County Ballet

For more information about class schedules or company performances, please visit online or call (706) 860-1852 during regular weekday business hours.

Public Relations services provided pro bono by The Clarion Company.

# # #