E. Virginia Williams of Boston: Boston Ballet Founder

By John N Sprague

E. Virginia Williams was my "Great Aunt", my mother was Janis Williams Sprague. I knew Virginia well. She was a very Determined Woman. When she was born in 1914, Women were not known to build big organization from scratch. She did, and not just one. Yes, she was the founder of Boston Ballet and also the Boston Ballet School. It did not just happen, she first started several dancing studios on Boston's north shore. By 1958, she had founded the New England Civic Ballet. It was a struggle to raise funds and attract great talent. With the help of N Y City Ballet's George Ballanchine, she was able to get a Ford Foundation grant to launch a more profession Ballet Company in Boston. The name was changed to Boston Ballet. She knew that being able to bring in talent, her schools of ballet would be inspired to greatness. She would always need those schools to get as many talented students as she could. The schools kept growing and the Boston Ballet got so good, she took then on world tours to show off how good they had become. Even the Chinese gave them standing ovations, Boston Ballet had created a name for itself on the world stage, under the guidance of one determined New Englander with English, Welch and Irish roots as well as the breath of a Salem Sea Captain thrown in. I'm proud of my aunt and you should be too if you are a New Englander and proud of your Boston Ballet. By the time she was at the end of her life, the Boston Ballet had met her approval by exceeding all her dream expectations. Fifty years after her death, the fruits of her labor still continue to be World Class. Both Boston Ballet and the Boston Ballet School continue to shine thanks to the hard work and determination of one New England Woman. E. Virginia Williams shows us that if we have the right drive and determination, our goals and plans can be accomplished if we never quit before reaching the end zone. She never gave up on her dream and now we all get to enjoy her work. Hopefully this book will show a little more of who she was, her background and spirit from a family perspective. I am the son of Janis Williams. Author John Sprague. Thanks for visiting these pages and please remember her accomplishments in the world of dance.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: B0CNGCKV4G
• ISBN13: 9798867501761
• Release Date: November 2023
• Publisher: Independently Published
• Length: 102 Pages
• Weight: 0.39 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.2" x 6.7" x 9.6"