Swan Lake: A Legacy in Every Stitch

In 2027, Ballet North Texas will premiere its most ambitious production yet: a brand-new Swan Lake, created in honor of the ballet’s 150th anniversary and tailored specifically for our North Texas community.

For a company of our size, this is a once-in-a-generation undertaking. We are not just remounting a classic — we are building it from the ground up: new choreography, new visual world, and a completely new collection of handcrafted costumes designed to move, shimmer, and tell the story from every seat in the theater.

Costumes are where magic and reality meet. They are the bridge between the dancer’s hard work in the studio and the audience’s experience in the theater. A tutu isn’t just tulle and trim; it’s engineering, artistry, and hours of meticulous handwork. Every bodice must be cut and stitched for a specific dancer, every feather placed so it can withstand rehearsals, quick changes, and the demands of performance.

For a small nonprofit ballet company, this level of craftsmanship is both essential and expensive.

That’s where this North Texas Giving Day campaign comes in.

We are inviting our community to help build Swan Lake, one costume at a time through our “A Legacy in Every Stitch” Swan Lake Costume Sponsorships.

A gift of $250 sponsors one Swan Lake costume, directly supporting the materials and artistry that bring this beloved story to life. In gratitude, each costume sponsor will have:

• Their name sewn into the costume’s tag, living within the garment for as long as it is worn on stage.
• Recognition in our Swan Lake donor listings.
• A feather bearing their name added to our “Giving Tutu” display — a visual symbol of how many individuals it takes to lift a production into flight.

Because we believe in opening our doors, not closing them, costume sponsors will also be invited deeper into the creative process:

• You’ll receive periodic updates on the design and construction of the costumes.
• You’ll get a behind-the-scenes look at how we translate sketches into stage-ready pieces.
• You’ll be invited to an exclusive dress rehearsal, where you can see “your” costume in motion and meet the dancer who wears it.

This campaign is about more than fabric and feathers. It’s about legacy.

Ballet North Texas is committed to making high-quality ballet accessible and meaningful for our region — through mainstage productions, sensory-friendly performances, community outreach, and opportunities for young dancers to train and perform at a professional level. A production like Swan Lake becomes a cultural touchstone: something children remember into adulthood, something families make a tradition, something that tells them, “World-class art belongs here, in North Texas.”

When you sponsor a costume, you are:

• Helping us create dignified, professional working conditions for dancers and costume artisans.
• Ensuring that students, families, and community members see excellence onstage, not “making do.”
• Investing in a production that will be remounted and shared with future generations for years to come.

Your gift on North Texas Giving Day — whether it sponsors an entire costume at $250 or combines with others to do so — becomes part of that story. Your name, literally stitched into the costume, will move through time with this production: rehearsals, premieres, touring opportunities, remounts, and the many young dancers who will grow into these roles.

Honor the past. Shape the future.

On North Texas Giving Day, join us in crafting a Swan Lake worthy of the next century. Help us fill the stage with story, movement, and costumes that reflect the beauty and strength of our community.

Make your mark. Sponsor a Swan Lake costume — and become part of our legacy in every stitch.