The woman who founded both the Indianapolis School of Ballet and the professional company, Indianapolis Ballet, is no longer associated with either operation.
In a press release issued Dec. 23, Victoria Lyras said she departs “with gratitude for the city, artists, audiences, and supporters who believed in her vision for a professional ballet company.”
The reasons for the sudden separation remain unclear.
“Indianapolis has been my artistic home for more than two decades, and I am deeply grateful to the dancers, families, collaborators, supporters, and audiences who made this work possible,” Lyras said. “I am proud of what we built together and excited to carry these experiences forward as I look toward new artistic endeavors.”
The press release noted that Lyras is recognized nationally for her artistic leadership and institution-building, as she leaves behind a legacy reflected in the dancers she trained, the works she created, and the cultural imprint she leaves on Indianapolis—an influence that will continue far beyond the city.
Here is more from the press release:
Victoria Lyras has concluded a transformative chapter in Indianapolis, leaving behind an enduring legacy that has shaped the city’s cultural and civic landscape and elevated its standing in American ballet. For 23 years, Indianapolis was her home and the place where her vision to build a nationally respected ballet institution took root.
In August 2006, Lyras founded the Indianapolis School of Ballet, and in January 2018, she established the professional company, Indianapolis Ballet. Under her leadership, the School placed dancers in major companies across the United States, while Indianapolis Ballet brought exceptional performances to local audiences, including the annual tradition of The Nutcracker, works by George Balanchine, and acclaimed collaborations with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra for Swan Lake and Romeo and Juliet.
Over a 19-year tenure, Lyras choreographed more than 30 original premieres and staged an additional ten works made possible by her personal and family resources, friends, and community benefactors. Her work was sustained by the generosity and belief of many partners, including the Allen Whitehill Clowes Charitable Foundation, the Christel DeHaan Family Foundation, James Johnson, CEO of the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, and Maestro Jack Everly.
About Victoria Lyras / Victoria Lyras is an internationally trained ballet artist, choreographer, and arts leader with a distinguished career spanning performance, education, and institution-building. A native of Athens, Greece, she received her classical training at the School of American Ballet, studying with many of the field’s most influential teachers, and performed numerous roles with New York City Ballet during her years of study.
At age 17, she joined Pennsylvania Ballet, where she rose to soloist and principal roles and performed extensively in the Balanchine repertoire, as well as works by Antony Tudor, José Limón, Paul Taylor, John Butler, and others. She later performed with Edward Villella and Dancers, toured nationally as a freelance guest artist and master teacher, and was a principal dancer with American Repertory Ballet during the 1994–95 season.
In 2006, Lyras founded the Indianapolis School of Ballet, followed by the launch of Indianapolis Ballet as a professional company in 2018. Under her leadership, the School placed dancers in major companies nationwide, while Indianapolis Ballet presented ambitious repertory and large-scale productions, including The Nutcracker, Swan Lake, Romeo and Juliet, and collaborations with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra.
Lyras has curated programming, choreographed, and staged more than 100 works for the School and Company combined and has taught at Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music and Dance Kaleidoscope. Her honors include a Creative Renewal Fellowship, the Starkey Entrepreneurial Woman Award, and Indianapolis’ Jefferson Award for community service.
Victoria Lyras was the subject of an in-depth profile by Joy Hernandez, published in the April 2019 edition of Urban Times as part of a series, “Remarkable Women of the Arts.” That feature can be found in the Indianapolis Public Library’s Digital Collection at https://www.digitalindy.org/digital/collection/utn/id/8351/rec/75.
