Bluegrass Youth Ballet Finds New Home

Over the past 16 years, the Bluegrass Youth Ballet has been a haven for thousands of young dancers and their families. Now, the organization has a new home that feels like the perfect fit.
After 12 years at the previous location on Mercer Road, BYB founder Adalhi Aranda learned the building’s owner would not be extending the lease. Aranda was given 12 months to find a new location and make the move. While the task seemed daunting, Aranda leapt into action and landed in just the right place.
“It was so hard, but was a blessing in disguise,” she said.
The new location is nestled in the Southland area, at 442 Southland Drive, in a building that 80 years ago housed a Woolworth’s, and more recently was a Hancock Fabrics store.
“The Southland vibe is exactly who we are,” Aranda said. “It’s local, it’s wholesome and it’s community-focused.”
BYB started out with 3,000 square feet in its original location on Pimlico Parkway in 2003. The move to Mercer Road in 2007 tripled the space and built a loyal base of dancers. Leaving Mercer Road was a difficult journey for everyone in the BYB family.
In the final days on Mercer Road, the students and teachers took markers and left their memories on the walls. Some were as simple as “I will miss this studio so much,” and some as poignant as “These walls watched young dancers always trying to improve, putting energy into their dancing, listening to music and dreaming big.”
Now, with 13,000 square feet in the new Southland location, Aranda is excited by the possibilities.
She transplanted some features, like the trademark blue and orange walls, but brought in some new ideas as well. In addition to ballet shoes and dance gear, the boutique in the front of the building will also feature local art.
“There is a lot of room for exploration here,” she said.

Four studios will be open for classes this fall, with a fifth still in progress. Plans for the largest studio include theatrical lights, curtains and bleacher seating so smaller performances can be held in-house.
In addition to the studios, the new building has ample storage for all the costumes and gear the dancers need. Piano lessons are also offered at BYB, with live music often played in ballet classes.
Families are not only welcome, but encouraged to stay and hang out while their children are in class or rehearsals. Younger siblings have a dedicated play area, students have access to a homework room, and parents can use the kitchen to keep snacks or even make a meal.
“It’s very important to have that community feeling and that family feeling,” Aranda said. “Kids often come here right after school so it becomes like a second home.”
The students have been flexible this summer, as the ballet operated on a minimum class schedule at rotating locations around Lexington. Aranda hopes to return the favor by opening up studio space for other community organizations to host classes or workshops once construction is completed.
The ballet is still raising funds for its Capital Campaign for the new space, and naming rights for the studio are for sale. Aranda sees the investment in the building as an investment in local youth. With around 200 active families in the program, BYB also offers classes to dancers with disabilities and to underprivileged children.
“We want to create a sense of representing the whole community,” she said. “Ballet is the reason people come here, but it’s so much more than that.”
The date for an Open House will be announced soon. Fall classes are tentatively scheduled to begin Wednesday, Aug. 21.