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The centerpiece of American Ballet Theatre’s education and outreach
initiatives is its award-winning Make a Ballet at American
Ballet Theatre program. Helping to meet the need for arts
education in underserved schools and communities, this model program
also introduces students to all aspects of the creative and administrative
theatrical experience.
Make a Ballet was first launched at The Frederick Douglass
Academy in central Harlem in 1997, and is currently a presence in
six area schools.
Make a Ballet
Schools |
| The Frederick Douglass Academy; Harlem, New York |
1997 - 2003 |
| Arts High School; Newark, New Jersey |
1999 - 2006 |
| Intermediate School 218; Washington Heights, New York |
1999 - 2004 |
| Casita Maria; Bronx, New York |
2002 - 2009 |
| Waterside School; Stamford, Connecticut |
2002 - Present |
| Long Island City High School; Queens, New York |
2002 - 2005 |
| Central High School in Valley Stream, New York |
2003 - 2006 |
| Manhattan Center for Science and Mathematics; Harlem, New
York |
2004 - 2008 |
| Frank Sinatra School of the Arts High School; Queens, New
York |
2006 - Present |
| Community Partnership charter School; Brooklyn, New York |
2007 - 2010 |
| Lower Manhattan Arts Academy; Lower East Side, New York |
2009-Present |
| PS 20 – The Anna Silver School; Lower East Side, New
York |
2009-Present |
| PS 1 – The Alfred
E Smith School; Chinatown, New York |
2010 - Present |
Make a Ballet offers students the opportunity to design,
choreograph, construct, produce, and perform their own original performance
piece. The students work under the tutelage of ABT teaching artists
– all of whom are professionals in their field -- and school
faculty. Students work in four teams—
Performance Team: chooses a theme and music; creates
choreography with an ABT choreographer; and performs the piece on
stage
Administration Team: creates a project budget;
develops a plan to market the ballet to the school, local community,
and the media; creates all tickets, invitations, and programs; and
raises funds for the production.
Production Team: designs light plots and sets up
theatrical lights; learns all necessary aspects of back stage work
and front-of-house management; and learns how to call cues for a
show. This team will function as the stage crew for the performance.
Design Team: designs and construct sets and costumes
for the production.
At year’s end, students present multiple performances of
their original work. The first performance will take place at each
school for the members of both the school and local community. Students
will also perform excerpts of their final performance piece on the
stage of The Metropolitan Opera House as part of American Ballet
Theatre’s Young People’s Ballet Workshop. Tickets are
complimentary for schools in the New York Metropolitan area. The
next Young People’s Ballet Workshop
featuring Make a Ballet students is scheduled for May 24,
2012.
In addition to exposing students to classical dance and building
future audiences, Make a Ballet emphasizes career opportunities
in the arts, onstage and backstage, and also helps students develop
valuable life skills.
Following the first year of participation, ABT and school staff
continue to cultivate students’ skills and career interests
by supervising independent projects, administrative internships
at ABT, and other after-school enrichment activities.
2012 Make a Ballet
Final Performance Dates |
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School |
Date |
Time |
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| PS 20 |
February 17, 2012 |
10:00am |
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| P.S. 1 |
March 2, 2012 |
10:00am |
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| Frank Sinatra School of the Arts High School |
May 3 & May 4, 2012 |
7:00pm |
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| The Waterside School |
May 23, 2012 |
3:00pm |
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For more information about the ABT's Make a Ballet program,
please contact Dennis Walters at (212) 477-3030, ext. 3264 or by
e-mail at dwalters@abt.org.
Payless ShoeSource® is the Exclusive Footwear Sponsor of Make
a Ballet on Tour.
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