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ABTKids Daily

Week of February 22-26, 2021

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Experience the excitement of classical ballet at home with ABTKids Daily!

Welcome to ABTKids Daily, American Ballet Theatre’s new home for families and educators to discover digital content for their virtual classrooms.  Join us each day to Meet an ABT Dancer, engage with an ABT Teaching Artist, learn fun facts and enjoy ballet-themed activities from the comfort of your own home.

As America’s National Ballet Company®, ABT is dedicated to preserving and extending the great legacy of classical dancing, through exciting performances and educational programming of the highest quality, presented to the widest possible audience.

Join us each Monday morning to bring the joy of classical ballet to your family. A weekly curriculum will be posted for your discovery!

 

ABTKids Daily is generously supported by
Bloomberg Philanthropies

 

Explore this week’s materials below or view the archive here.

 

Watch ABTKids 2020: B is for Ballet!
Presented in partnership with Random House Children’s Books,
the program is inspired by B Is for Ballet: A Dance Alphabet.

Week of February 22-26, 2021


To Read

To Watch

To Do

Black History Month - The Future

We close Black History Month with ABTKids Daily proudly looking toward the future and spotlighting some of the choreographers and young dancers that will help influence the future of classical ballet for generations to come!

Black History Month

This February, ABTKids Daily is proud to celebrate Black History Month and pay tribute to the generations of black dancers, composers and artists who have made transcendent contributions to American Ballet Theatre.

Black History Month Fun Facts

  • The origins of Black History Month can be traced to 1915.
  • In 1926, the second week of February was chosen as national Negro History week to coincide with the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass.
  • In the 1950’s and 60’s mayors of cities across the country issued proclamations bringing the celebration into the nation’s consciousness.
  • In 1976 the celebration was expanded to the full month of February by President Gerald R. Fold who urged Americans to “seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of black Americans in every area and endeavor throughout our history.”

ABT RISE

In 2020 American Ballet launched ABT RISE (Representation and Inclusion Sustain Excellence).

ABT RISE is built upon the efforts of the generous and dedicated champions who did groundbreaking work to launch Project Plié in 2013, which was ABT’s industry-leading initiative to advance diversity in the training pipeline for ballet students, teachers, and administrative interns. ABT RISE consists of a series of programs, initiatives, and activities embedded across all aspects of America’s National Ballet Company® – in our education programs, our artistic and administrative endeavors, and in the fabric of ABT’s corporate culture. ABT RISE supports and assures inclusivity in all that we do.

Meet A Dancer (and Choreographer) Monday

Hope Boykin

This fall choreographer Hope Boykin created her newest work, For What Is It All Worth?, on ABT Studio Company. In addition to her work as a choreographer, Hope just completed her 20th and final season with Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and also serves as Artistic Lead for the Kennedy Center Dance Lab, a two-week summer dance program for high school students.

This week, Hope sits down with ABT Studio Company dancer Kyra Coco to discuss their experiences as black women in dance, their thoughts on the future for dance, and even a small excerpt of their new ballet! The discussion is moderated by ABT Trustee Shari Siadat and ABT Studio Company Artistic Director Sascha Radetsky.

Teaching Artist Tuesday

Join one of ABT’s Teaching Artists as they introduce you to ABT and its ballets. Learn a dance, stop and sketch, and don’t forget to have fun!

Up this week: ABT Teaching Artist Kelby Brown!

If you are a current 2nd or 3rd grade student in the United States or Puerto Rico you can have the opportunity to take classes with Mr. Kelby and ABT Company dancers! Click here for more information on applying for our ABT RISE Weekend Workshop on April 10 and 11, 2021

ABT RISE Weekend Workshop

ABT RISE Weekend Workshop

What’s up Wednesday 

Black History Month Crossword Puzzle

This month ABTKids Daily celebrated dancers, musicians, choreographers, and designers that have shared their artistry and talents with the American Ballet Theatre community and the whole world.

Look back over all past weeks to complete the ABT Black History Month Crossword Puzzle!

February 1-5February 8-12February 15-19

Throwback Thursday

We pull a photo from our archives and share it with a member of the ABT family.  You never know what stories may come from a single snapshot!

Photo: Rosalie O'Connor.
Photo: Rosalie O'Connor.

Mei and Shui
Students in the ABT Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School Pre-Professional Division
Joined ABT Bridge Class in 2016

Mei:
“When I take a look at this photo joy spreads across my whole face and I am in awe. I remember being very excited but just as nervous for the audition. For the most part I remember having the time of my life, I was just so happy to be dancing. Looking back at this photo I feel very proud of myself because I have come a long way from where I am today. I have gotten so many opportunities and met so many amazing people and dancers in the past years I have been at JKO. It is just so unbelievable because my dreams are now becoming my reality.”

Shui:
“Looking back at this day, a lot of feelings come rushing back. At the time I had no idea or clue what was happening, I remember my mom just telling us we were going somewhere to get tested on dance, and normally that would make me nervous but I wasn’t. I had very little dancing experience at the time, but I wasn’t even thinking about that, I just remember the feeling of being happy to dance. In this particular moment I remember feeling very confident and connected with Mei. I felt as if we were one, I remember being so in sync with her it was so cool to me and it made my body just rush with adrenaline and this feeling made me want to sharpen and execute each move to my fullest extent. So, I remember each skip felt like I was flying because I was pushing off and jumping so high. I never expected anything out of this audition, just the opportunity to dance.”

View More Photos of Mei and Shui!

Writing Prompt

Write about a time that you felt you were “flying”!

Funtime Friday

What Does Black History Month Mean to You?

We close Black History Month by asking students of the ABT Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis what this month means to them. Their answers are inspiring, full of hope, and artistic!

ABT JKO School Children's Division Online Community Classes

In the Spring of 2020, @ABTSchool launched virtual classes taught by former ABT dancers, ABT JKO School faculty and ABT teaching artists – all certified in the ABT National Training Curriculum.

Recommended for ages 2-4 and 5-8, these classes engage ABT’s youngest students and their families, as well as the global community at large, by exploring musicality, fostering creativity and imagination, and teaching ballet fundamentals.

View the full series on @ABTSchool IGTV or ABT’s YouTube Channel.

@ABTSchool IGTVYouTube

Photo: Richard Corman.