Outreach, Education and Access

Danceworks!

Danceworks! is a collaborative outreach program between First State Ballet Theatre and The Grand Opera House that provides weekly dance instruction to elementary schools and childcare centers in the City of Wilmington throughout the school year. Since its inception in 2004, Danceworks! has benefited over one thousand children, many of whom would otherwise not be exposed to dance training and performing.

Classes focus on developing self-esteem, creativity, discipline, cooperation and listening skills. Students learn various dance styles and techniques, rhythm and musicality, terminology, choreography, spatial awareness, and body control. Danceworks! teachers work closely with classroom teachers to help them apply skills learned in dance class into the classroom environment. At the end of the school year, each class performs for their peers, friends and families at The Baby Grand.

Danceworks! is an immersive program running for the academic school year.

• The students have weekly observation of professional dancers in classes and rehearsals, and participate in interactive demonstrations especially designed for DanceWorks!

• Students have the opportunity to tour The Grand Opera House theaters, backstage, and sound booth and perform on the stage at The Baby Grand.

• The dance education provided by Danceworks! helps build the theater audiences of the future.

Red Clay Title 1 Schools Arts Alliance

FSBT is part of the Red Clay Title 1 Schools Arts Alliance, a collaboration between schools in the Red Clay School District and area arts organizations. PreK and Kindergarten students receive instruction from teachers from First State Ballet Theatre’s Danceworks! faculty, and FSBT company members perform and participate in a Q and A with the students to talk about their lives as dancers. This program allows children to learn through a hands-on approach, and experience, many for the first time, the excitement and joy of dance and live performance.

Artistic Residencies

FSBT's artistic residencies in Delaware elementary, middle and high schools educate hundreds of students each year about the art of ballet and the lives of professional dancers.

To inquire about Danceworks! or to schedule a residency, please email kkambalov@firststateballet.org.

Thank you to our 2022-2023 Sponsors:

• The Carl M. Freeman Foundation

• Chichester duPont Foundation

• The City of Wilmington

• Delaware Community Foundation

• Delaware Division of the Arts

• Red Clay School District

• WSFS CARES Foundation

• Walmart