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The centerpiece of American Ballet Theatre’s education and
outreach initiatives is its award-winning Make a Ballet
program. The program helps to meet the needs for arts education
in underserved schools and communities, as well as 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 has reached nine schools since
its launch. Currently, Make a Ballet is serving six schools
in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut.
Make a Ballet offers students the opportunity to
design, choreograph, construct, produce, and perform their own original
performance piece. They work under the tutelage of ABT Teaching
Artists, all of whom are professionals in their field, and school
faculty.
In addition to exposing students to classical dance and building
future audiences, Make a Ballet emphasizes career opportunities
in the arts, onstage and backstage, as well as helping the students
develop valuable life skills.
In response to the success of Make a Ballet , American
Ballet Theatre launched a national model, Make a Ballet on Tour,
in April 2005 during American Ballet Theatre’s performances
at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, The Los Angeles Music Center.
In the pilot year of Make a Ballet on Tour, approximately
five hundred students had a hands-on experience with American Ballet
Theatre. This intensive residency culminated in a performance of
an original retelling of the classic romantic ballet Giselle.
Sets, costumes, and choreography were created under the tutelage
of American Ballet Theatre’s Teaching Artists.
The guiding principle of the program is to utilize the creative
process in all aspects of the residency. ABT relies on five specific
tools to guide students throughout the process: exposure, foundations,
creative practice, revision, and performance. Each student participates
in two arts disciplines: dance and design.
During the residency, students use their knowledge of the ballet’s
story to develop characters and radiate intentions, build on their
foundations in dance technique, improvise and solve plot problems
through creative practice, and learn valuable time management skills
in revision and preparation for performance. At the program’s
end, students present a final showing of the work in front of their
peers. During this showing and sharing, students respond to performances
through discussion and reflective writing.
| Past Make a Ballet on
Tour Schools |
| Winter, 2006-2007, Washington,
D.C. |
| Amidon Elementary School |
| Eaton Elementary School |
| Brent Elementary School |
| Sacred Heart School |
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| Spring, 2005: Los Angeles Unified
School District |
| Pacoima Middle School |
| Millikan Middle School |
| Bancroft Middle School |
| Marina del Ray Middle School |
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| Winter, 2005, Washington, D.C |
| Arts and Technology Public Charter
School |
| Eaton Elementary School |
| Malcolm X Elementary School |
| Miner Elementary School |
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| Spring, 2006, Orange County,
CA |
| Westmont Elementary School |
| University High School |
| Northwood High School |
| Ball Junior High School |
In the coming years, Make a Ballet on Tour will expand
to include other cities, mirroring the tour of ABT’s main
company. Future cities will include:
| Washington, D.C. |
December, 2007 |
| Chicago, IL |
April, 2008 |
| Miami, FL |
March, 2008 |
| Los Angeles, CA |
April, 2008 |
| Orange County, CA |
TBA |
If you an educator in one of these areas, and are interested in
having Make a Ballet on Tour come to your school, please
download the following letter and application and return your request
to ABT.
Click here for the MAB on Tour Application
For more information about the ABT's Make a Ballet program,
please contact Kevin Edwards at (212) 477-3030, ext. 1058 or by
e-mail at kedwards@abt.org.
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Friedman, Billings Ramsey Group, Inc. is a Corporate
Sponsor of Make a Ballet on Tour in Washington, DC |
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Payless ShoeSource is the Exclusive Footwear Sponsor of
Make a Ballet on Tour |
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