George Elder & Jo Ann Engelhardt support BBT's La Bayadère
George Elder & JoAnn Engelhardt pictured at BBT’s 35th Anniversary Gala on January 18, 2026.
Boca Ballet Theatre extends a heartfelt thank you to George Elder & Jo Ann Engelhardt, who are generously supporting our production of La Bayadère on August 1–2, 2026. In this feature, we highlight their connection to BBT and why they are so passionate about supporting our mission!
Both George and Jo Ann are dancers who regularly attend open adult classes at Boca Ballet Theatre! Jo Ann first discovered BBT twenty years ago when searching for a program that supported motivated amateur adult dancers. What she discovered at BBT was not only a rigorous training curriculum but a welcoming and encouraging studio atmosphere! George discovered BBT years later when searching for an activity to improve his flexibility, posture, and sense of balance. It was BBT faculty member Dennis Lue who convinced George to take weekly barre classes. After several years of taking these lessons, George is happy to share they have worked! “[We’re] surprised that more older people don’t take advantage of this excellent way to care for an aging body, even to become more aware of it.”
George and Jo Ann are proud supporters of Boca Ballet Theatre and the arts more broadly. “We know we are not just biological, political, or technological creatures,” they recently shared, “but have souls that need to be acknowledged and nourished. Ballet does that with its nonverbal expression of the great themes—and by its beauty! Boca Ballet Theatre stands out in honoring this art form in so many ways: by nurturing young talent, by welcoming older dancers, by offering an unparalleled summer program for college students, and by engaging faculty who don't just teach the steps but provide dance history and a cultural context.”
With La Bayadère right around the corner, George and Jo Ann expressed particular excitement for Sterling Baca and Scarlett Güémez’s return to Boca Raton as guest artists. They have followed Sterling’s career since they met him in BBT’s production of Romeo and Juliet almost a decade ago. “They are a superb ballet partnership—and their recent marriage only deepens that relationship,” George said. “Of course, they are also beautiful!”
We share in Jo Ann and George’s enthusiasm about one of ballet history’s most extravagant productions! Don’t miss your chance to see American Ballet Theatre’s Skylar Brandt and Philadelphia Ballet’s Sterling Baca and Scarlett Güémez onstage alongside the talented dancers attending The Directors’ Summer intensive at Boca Ballet Theatre! Reserve your tickets to La Bayadère today!
La Bayadère
Set in the Royal India of the past, La Bayadère, or The Temple Dancer, follows a tragic love triangle between temple dancer Nikiya, warrior Solor, and the Rajah's daughter Gamzatti. This production will take place at Olympic Heights Performing Arts Theater in Boca Raton. You don’t want to miss it!
