Kodi Bates clomps up the stone steps to the art center, her black ballet leotard blending with her black muck boots coated with Keating mud.

She stops just inside the door of Crossroads Carnegie Art Center to slip off her boots, then slips around the divider and into the world of ballet.

Pink satin slippers replace the boots, a stark contrast from ranch girl to ballerina.

Bates, 12, began taking ballet classes about nine years ago from Debbie Friedman.

Bates has taken nearly every ballet session offered at Crossroads — quite the commitment with a 20-mile one-way commute from home.

“If we’ve had a class, Kodi’s been in it,” says Ginger Savage, executive director of Crossroads.

But this session is a bit different than others — these days, the ballet slippers she uses have a very hard toe.

She is going “on pointe,” which involves, basically, doing ballet moves on the tips of her toes.

The move to this advanced form of ballet takes years of practice.

In all her years of teaching, Friedman has had just four students move to this level of ballet. She’s taught dance at Crossroads since around 1985 when she moved to Baker City. She has degrees in theater education and dance.

“It’s a natural progression — it just requires way more strength and control. And pain tolerance,” Friedman said of going on pointe. “It’s a pretty huge step, really. And some people never get there.”

Going on pointe requires daily practice. Bates has advanced ballet on Thursday afternoons, plus she helps with the younger class on Tuesdays.

“And I practice as much as I can at home,” Bates said.

The strength needed for going on pointe is evident during class — the act of balancing on her toes takes all her concentration, and even then sometimes a tiny wobble comes into the pose.

As Bates works on her ballet moves, across the bar is Dustin Shorts, who earlier arrived by skateboard to this weekly ballet class.

The addition of a male to the class adds a new dimension to routines, with Shorts working on a series of jumps while the ballerinas cross the floor with tiny steps on their toes

“It’s awesome that he’s doing it,” Friedman said.

For just over an hour — 4:15 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. — these dancers move through poses and routines led by Friedman, who demonstrates and then watches the dancers’ techniques.

And then, class is done for the week.

Shorts takes off, carrying his skateboard down the steps of the art center.

Bates’ ballet slippers go into her bag and she tugs on the muck boots, then pulls on a baseball cap embroidered with “Boots & Bling — It’s a Cowgirl Thing.”

And off she goes, until the next time she trades boots for ballet slippers.

Ballet Classes

Friedman’s next sessions of ballet classes will be offered in the fall.

However, Emma McClinton will start “Tiny Tots Ballet” for ages 3-5 beginning April 14. The class meets Fridays from 10 a.m. to 10:45 a.m. for six weeks. Cost is $75 for Crossroads members, or $90 for nonmembers.

McClinton’s “Hip Hop Dancing” for ages 6-10 also starts April 14, and meets Fridays from 11 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. for six weeks. Cost is $75 for Crossroads members, or $90 for nonmembers.

For more information about Crossroads classes, visit the center at 2020 Auburn Ave., call 541-523-5369 or go online to www.crossroads-arts.org. Updates are also posted on the center’s Facebook page.