A live orchestra-and-ballet collaboration will open the Anderson Symphony Orchestra’s 59th season at downtown Anderson’s Paramount Theatre Centre. Titled Masquerade, the October program pairs orchestral music with performances by Anderson Young Ballet Theatre dancers; audience members are invited to wear masks.
The joint concert, which WISH-TV reported, will take place on October 24 at 7:30 p.m. at the historic venue, according to the Anderson Symphony Orchestra, which lists the Paramount Theatre Centre's address as 1124 Meridian Street in downtown Anderson. The 1,458-seat theater is already familiar to local audiences; Hoodline previously covered its role hosting the community lip sync battle earlier this year.
The concert's second half belongs to Swan Lake, with Anderson Young Ballet Theatre dancers performing live while the symphony provides the orchestral accompaniment, per WISH-TV's report. It marks a rare pairing for the youth ensemble, which the station notes has not previously had the opportunity to dance to Swan Lake. A ballet representative told the outlet the collaboration carries special meaning for the young performers, adding that dancing with a live orchestra requires the dancers to live in the moment and that the experience creates something special for them.
A French March and a Clown's Love Story Open the Night
Before the swans take the stage, the first half of the program features a ceremonial French baroque march and a composition by Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, a Black British composer, as reported by WISH-TV. According to the station, the Coleridge-Taylor piece tells the story of a clown in love. The specific works are Jean-Baptiste Lully's Marche pour la Cérémonie des Turcs, arranged by conductor Daniel Wiley, and Coleridge-Taylor's four-movement Petite Suite de Concert, according to Daniel Wiley's official website.
Anderson Symphony Orchestra Music Director Daniel Wiley described the orchestra-ballet collaboration as a natural fit, telling WISH-TV that musicians and dancers coordinate in real time as they perform.
New Leadership Settling Into a Milestone Season
Wiley took over as the orchestra's Artistic Director and Conductor in April 2025 after a yearlong search process, officially beginning his tenure during the 2025–2026 season, according to the Anderson Symphony Orchestra. Masquerade opens the orchestra's 59th season, themed Postcards in Sound, which continues later this season with a Handel's Messiah performance in November and a Star Wars orchestral show in May 2027, the organization says. Founded in 1967 by leaders at Anderson University, the orchestra began with community volunteers and now uses contracted professional musicians, according to the orchestra.
The orchestra also offers Symphony for Kids educational programs. For its part, the Anderson Young Ballet Theatre will follow Masquerade with its annual Nutcracker production in December and an original staging of The Little Mermaid at the Paramount Theatre in May 2027, according to the Anderson Young Ballet Theatre.
Inside a Nearly Century-Old Atmospheric Theater
The Paramount Theatre opened on August 20, 1929, and was designed by architect John Eberson in the atmospheric theater style. Its design evokes a Spanish courtyard beneath a simulated starry sky, according to Wikipedia. A restoration preceded its 1995 reopening as downtown Anderson’s premier performing arts facility.
Historic Design and Indiana Orchestra-Ballet Partnerships
The National Register of Historic Places nomination describes the Paramount as Anderson’s only and one of Indiana’s few atmospheric theaters. The City of Anderson says it is committed to investing in arts and cultural activities in its Central Business District, according to the city’s downtown webpage. A separate Indiana example is planned for the 2026–27 season: the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra says its partnership with Indianapolis Ballet will bring three productions featuring live orchestral music and professional ballet to Clowes Memorial Hall, according to the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra.
