Peter Stark (right) instructing students

It’s indeed a bold move to start a new ballet company in this economy in which funding for the arts has been, for the most part, slashed to pieces. That’s why it’s so amazing and wonderful that Straz Center’s Patel Conservatory is now home to a brand new ballet company — Next Generation Ballet (NGB).

I spoke with Wendy Leigh, the Patel Conservatory's vice president of education, and with Peter Stark, chair of the dance department. Both were beaming with pride over their new creation.