Important messages and heartfelt sentiments are not only conveyed with words or actions; they are often conveyed with flowers. And for the dancers of the Alabama Ballet, their dedication, talent and poise are often lauded with the beautiful bouquets from FlowerBuds, a floral boutique owned by Ray Jordan. As the honorary chair for this year's Pointe Ball, Jordan takes pride in providing the Alabama Ballet with robust blossoms for events and performances. “It’s been 18 bouquets this season,” he shares, smiling.
Throughout his involvement with the Ballet, Jordan has seen many projects come to fruition — including adult tap lessons. It all started when a close friend of Jordan’s, who served on the board along with him, was teaching a tap class, and the Alabama Ballet suggested collaborating to make adult tap part of their program. Now, not only is Jordan himself a student, but the collective enthusiasm has paid off. At this point, the Ballet’s adult tap classes regularly involve between 75 and 80 students, who can opt to be part of a recital at the end of every April.
Jordan confesses that his favorite part of being involved with the Alabama Ballet is watching the process and development of a performance. “I’ve always loved the arts, including theater and dance,” he says, “and I go early to watch the rehearsals of the dancers. They are incredibly talented, and they work so hard – I love watching them develop the shows.”
He’ll often be part of the show himself and has performed the role of a character in more than one ballet. “I love being on the stage with the kids and getting a glow from their talent,” he adds.
Still, Jordan remains humble about his contributions. “I think they made a mistake making me the honorary chair for 2023,” he jokes — but of course, he relishes the opportunity to be part of this key event for the organization. The “magical evening,” as Jordan puts it, includes a theme corresponding with one of the ballets (this year’s is Rooster, featuring the iconic tunes of the Rolling Stones), a “teaser” performance from the dancers, plus an incredible dinner, drinks and dancing — with everyone wearing their Pointe Ball best. The event raises vital funds for four major performances, outreach, development, costuming and salaries.
Naturally, floral accents for the evening are courtesy of FlowerBuds, a task Jordan takes immense pride in. “The flowers are based on a theme — this year is Rooster, and one year it was Sleeping Beauty, which was more like a garden, and when we did Blue Suede Shoes it had a nightclub vibe,” he says.
This year’s Pointe Ball will be held at The Club on March 10 at 6 p.m. Jordan looks forward to seeing the dancers together, and notes that their creative chemistry is a large part of the success not only for the fundraiser but for the Alabama Ballet as a whole.
“I love that about the Ballet,” he exclaims. “Despite many different personalities, the dancers always work together to accomplish their goal.”
For tickets and to become a corporate sponsor, visit alabamaballet.org/pointe_ball.
