Falmouth, Maine  - Two years ago a tap scholarship in honor of Peggy Etter was set up by the Maine State Ballet Board of Directors. This scholarship is awarded annually to a promising tap student who has been nominated by the school’s teachers and selected by a committee.  For those not familiar with Peggy, she began teaching at the Dorothy Mason School of Dance in 1955. Over the next fifty years, through changes in ownership and location, Mrs. Etter continued to teach thousands of students and generations of dancers. She even taught Jonathan Miele, co-director of the school, now called Maine State Ballet’s School for the Performing Arts.  

The second scholarship recipient, for the 2010-2011 school year, is Lindsay Stack of Saco. Lindsay, 18, is a senior at Thornton Academy and will be attending the University of Maine at Orono in the fall. At Thornton Academy, Lindsay has been involved in the dance program, recently taking a class called “Principles of Choreography.” Co-choreographing a duet with a friend, she danced in Thornton’s end of the year performance.

At Maine State Ballet, Lindsay is a long time student. In fact she has probably taken every class offered and also is a member of the Maine State Ballet Company. Lindsay is a well-rounded dancer, who is dedicated to dance and performance.  She was selected for the Etter tap award due to her consistency in her dancing, consistency in her attitude, and her ongoing willingness to take on any role.

Lindsay recognizes that her determination has played a role in her dance success. She states, “It takes a lot of work to be a dancer, and dancing has taught me that trying my best and working really hard can get you to where you want to be.”  Mrs. Etter would certainly agree. Lindsay Stack and Peggy Etter were honored at Maine State Ballet’s School for the Performing Arts Annual Recital at the Westbrook Performing Arts Center in late May.

Maine State Ballet along with its affiliate School for the Performing Arts is a non-profit organization offering dance training and educational outreach in ballet, tap, jazz, and musical theater to over 500 students.  Maine State Ballet performs regularly in its unique in-house theater on Route One in Falmouth in addition to staging performances of The Nutcracker each year at Portland’s Merrill Auditorium. Maine State Ballet's annual 40 performances feature classical family-oriented ballets like Sleeping Beauty as well as Broadway style shows like Tap, Tap, Jazz, the Choreographers Showcase of contemporary dance artists, and world-premiere productions.