The Wilmington Ballet Lecture / Demonstration

In-person

Led by the Wilmington Ballet Academy of the Dance alumnus and Executive Artistic Director Benjamin Sterling Cannon, this highly engaging evening celebrates dance through a rich, multicultural lens. Audiences will gain fascinating insight into the history of the art, the daily lifestyle and training of artists, and performance excerpts from an eclectic repertoire. It offers a rare, captivating bridge between foundational classical traditions and dynamic modern artistic expressions. The performance honors a historic lineage, tracing back to the 1981 founding by World Champion Scottish Highland Dancer and Boston Ballet alumnus Victor Wesley as the performing arm of Wilmington’s The Academy of the Dance —originally founded by Delaware dance legends James Jamieson and Madame Helene Antonova.

The Wilmington Ballet Academy of the Dance is a non-profit organization located in Delaware that provides classical dance training, community outreach, and performances. For over half a century Wilmington Ballet has served the Delaware cultural landscape through its passion and commitment to the art of dance. Their mission is to provide career centered arts education to a diverse intergenerational roster of students in the local and regional area, and to use the arts as a catalyst for multicultural cultural enrichment through innovative collaborative performances, multidisciplinary arts experiences, and events.

Benjamin Sterling Cannon is a native of the Southbridge community, and grandson and nephew of Wilmington Jazz legends Millie Cannon and Lem Winchester. He was awarded the Helena Antonova Scholarship by James Jamieson, studied dance exclusively at the Academy of the Dance, toured in Jamieson's iconic Lecture Demonstration, and performed in the Academy's annual production of The Nutcracker before embarking on an eclectic professional career in the arts, spanning over 30 years. Cannon made his Broadway debut as the comically maniacal Banzai in Disney's The Lion King, and has starred in regional, national, and touring productions of Blues in The Night, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, A Chorus Line, The Who's Tommy, and Smokey Joe's Cafe to name a few. Mr. Cannon is a highly sought multidisciplinary Arts Educator, Director / Choreographer, and Producer. He was appointed Executive and Artistic Director of The Wilmington Ballet Academy of the Dance in 2020, the first African American in the organization's 65 year history.

NOTE: this event is in the Lewes Elementary School auditorium (820 Savannah Road, Lewes, DE).
Each individual attending in-person must register to reserve a seat. Do not list two people on one registration.
At the school, please park on the side of the building facing Beebe Hospital and use entrance 12, by the flag pole.

The Lewes Spoken Word Society (LSWS) celebrates the tradition and artistry of oral storytelling through lectures, performances, discussions, demonstrations, and other publicly-shared experiences. The LSWS is partially funded by the generous support of Browseabout Books and the Delaware Division of the Arts, a state agency. The Division promotes Delaware arts events on DelawareScene.com.