Since its inception in 1996, Pennsylvania Ballet's outreach and education program has introduced the art form of ballet to over 125,000 elementary, middle and high school students in the Philadelphia area. Not satisfied with merely providing exposure to the art form, Pennsylvania Ballet seeks to engage schools and community organizations in long-term relationships that maximize the inherent benefits of arts education through curriculum integration and multi-disciplinary participation.
Programs and services include:
Dress Rehearsal Matinees.
Approximately 5,000 students attend dress rehearsal performances each year from city and suburban school districts in Philadelphia, Camden, and the surrounding communities. Participating teachers receive supplementary teaching materials to help prepare students for their theatre experience.
Ticket Giveaways.
Through special drawings at each dress rehearsal, students from participating schools receive premium seating tickets to a regular performance. Additionally, with the assistance of the Children's Enchantment Fund, approximately 1,000 ticket vouchers are distributed each year through a variety of educational, cultural and social service agencies.
Studio Tours and School Visits.
Guided studio tours are offered to selected Accent on Dance participants. Tours include a behind-the-scenes look at the day to day operations of a professional performing arts organization, a presentation by a member of the artistic or administrative staff, a mini class, and an opportunity to observe the Company in rehearsal.
Pennsylvania Ballet II.
An eight-member troupe of pre-professional dancers established in 2002 through the generosity of Joyce and Herbert Kean, Pennsylvania Ballet II is available to perform at your location, offering a one hour performance-based program that includes audience participation, a demonstration of ballet exercises dancers use to build strength, stamina, and flexibility and excerpts from the Company's repertoire.
Delphi Project.
Our thirteenth year of funding from Reliance Standard Life Insurance Company's Delphi Project Foundation to provide unique after school programming for selected Philadelphia middle schools.
School Partnerships.
Our school partnerships with Loesche Elementary and Henry School are now in their sixth year. Our outreach and education department will work with you to identify programming opportunities and design service delivery options that meet the unique needs and interests of your school and students.
After School Ballet Classes.
Offered in three Philadelphia elementary schools in cooperation with Communities in Schools After School Enrichment Academy.
Happy Feet!
Developed specifically for PNC's Grow Up Great program, Happy Feet! introduces pre-school children to the art of dance through a structured, yet playful exploration of creative movement and self-expression. The program has been expanded to three pre-school centers in 2009-2010.
For more information about the various programs of Accent on Dance, please contact Phil Juska, Director of Outreach and Education, at 215.587.6927 or pjuska@paballet.org.
The research development and distribution of Accent on Dance educational resources are funded through the
generosity of 