Giving the Gift of Dance: The Pennsylvania Ballet
The usher showed me to my seat for the dress rehearsal of George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker. The audience was not made up of your typical theater-goers. Many were giggling loudly in excitement, some pointed with wide-eyes as they stared up into the large theater, and they were all under five feet tall.
I was surrounded by 1,200 Philadelphia children, and we were all about to see Act 1 of Balanchine’s Nutcracker. Many of these children were in a real theater for their very first time, and you could see it on their faces, and hear it in their “oohs” and “aaahs.” As the show began, and the curtains rose, the kids were entranced. And when twelve hundred kids stay entranced for a full hour, you know something special is happening.
These children had the chance to enjoy The Nutcracker thanks to the Community Engagement projects of the Pennsylvania Ballet. But, while most of the students that day got to see Balanchine’s Nutcracker from the velvety audience seats, four students got to experience the Nutcracker from the other side of the curtain. That’s right - they were dancers in the performance! This incredible opportunity was made possible through the Pennsylvania Ballet’s Dance Chance Program.
The Dance Chance Program works with schools in the Philadelphia area to bring top-notch ballet classes to the school curriculum (this year, Dance Chance is based in the Folk Arts Charter School and Dr. Ethel Allen Promise Academy). Through these classes, several talented, dedicated students are invited to attend regular classes at the School of Pennsylvania Ballet each year. These classes come at no cost to the student, making it possible for any child who stands out as a promising dancer to attend this reputable School of Ballet. This year, four of those students performed in the Nutcracker, right alongside accomplished, professional ballerinas. Talk about the experience of a lifetime…
While at the theater, I got to meet Sarah Cooper (Director of Community Engagement for the Pennsylvania Ballet) and Sarah Cailean (Assistant to the Director of Community Engagement for the Pennsylvania Ballet) . The hard work and dedication they put into creating a magical experience for these students was evident, and so was their passion for bringing the fine arts to Philadelphia schools that are labeled “underprivileged,” and where the young students are already labeled “at-risk.” They even develop curriculum materials for teachers in all the schools they invite to the show, in order to create not just a beautiful experience for the kids, but a meaningful educational one as well.
Another element of the Pennsylvania Ballet’s community outreach is the Delphi Project. This program (funded by the Delphi Project Foundation of the Reliance Standard Life Insurance Company) brings after-school dance classes to middle school students in Philadelphia. There are a few things that really impressed me when I learned about the Delphi Project.
First, the students learn different styles of dance; ballet, contemporary and Latin Dance. Despite the similarities that bridge all types of dance, these three genres have such different histories and involve such different types of movement. It’s great that young students are being exposed to these different forms of dance at a young age, and starting to train their bodies in different ways throughout the year.
While after-school dance programs are becoming more common (woohoo!) most programs do not include a literary aspect. This is the second thing that amazed me about the Delphi Project. As part of the Delphi Project, the middle school students explore dance-inspired literature. This multi-disciplinary approach is so beneficial for students because it develops their critical thinking and analytical skills while strengthening their reading and writing. It also encourages different ways of thinking about dance.
At the end of the year, all four participating schools take part in a combined performance, inviting family, friends and community members.
Even schools that aren’t lucky enough the be participants in the Dance Chance Program or the Delphi Project can still get a taste of the Pennsylvania Ballet! The Pennsylvania Ballet II is made up of pre-professional dancers who are all about spreading the love of dance. The group travels to different schools to show students what it’s like to be a dancer about twenty times every school year. Students get to experience a dance class, see a performance up-close, and participate in a Q & A session with the dancers. Again, the Pennsylvania Ballet mixes it up with influences from ballet, obviously, but also jazz and hip hop.
Most people think of the Pennsylvania Ballet as a distinguished, prestigious dance company. And they would not be wrong. But, that doesn’t stop the Pennsylvania Ballet from running a very impressive, very versatile, very meaningful outreach program. They’ve touched the lives of countless young people in Philly, and have undeniably changed the lives of some.
You can find out more about the Pennsylvania Ballet’s outreach programs here. And, if you’re a teacher or a parent, you can learn about how Pennsylvania Ballet can come to your school to inspire young, future dancers. You can also find out how to get involved by donating to this very incredible cause.
So, the next time you see the Nutcracker, or Tchaikovsky’s “Waltz of the Flowers” gets stuck in your head, try to imagine twelve-hundred kids watching the ballet in awe, and remember to be thankful for the Pennsylvania Ballet’s Community Engagement program.
*Photograph by Alexander Iziliaev
This post was part of the "Giving the Gift of Dance" article series, which highlights just a few of the amazing programs in Philadelphia that bring the beauty of dance to kids in our community at no cost. Check out the introduction to the series, and find links to the other articles in the series here. Read, be inspred, feel good, and spread the word! These programs deserve our attention and our thanks!
Article written by Hannah Lorenzo.
