Building Community Through Ballet

May 01, 2018  |  By NUTCRACKER! Magical Christmas Ballet

Any parent with a daughter or son who studies ballet understands that it’s not just about learning discipline or developing a special skill. Ballet also celebrates the spirit of collaboration to create a timeless composition. In today’s world, renowned dance companies, as well arts and cultural organizations all over the world are introducing ballet as a bridge to building global and local communities.

Arts and cultural education has been Moscow Ballet’s primary mission since it’s first tour of North America 25 years ago, in the age of Glasnost, which allowed for artistic openness between Russian and the United States.  As part of that premise, Moscow Ballet is just as committed to its community outreach as it is to its expansive tour of over 130 cites across the United States and Canada.

Dance-With-Us

This centerpiece program brings the rare opportunity of auditioning, rehearsing, and performing with a professional, international touring ballet company in the Great Russian Nutcracker and other classic Russian story ballets to generations of American ballet students. Dance with Us includes partnerships with host studios in each tour city. Moscow Ballet ballerinas audition children in each city, rehearse with them for several days, and leave the local host ballet studio to rehearse the children for 6-8 weeks prior to the performance.

Wunderkind

Youth musicians accompany Moscow Ballet principal ballerinas in Saint Saen’s “Dying Swan” from Swan Lake. The Wunderkind, each in their respective cities, rehearse with the principal ballerina and open the Great Russian Nutcracker in a duo of musician and ballerina to the delight of audiences. The program, which features pre-professional Symphony Orchestra Concerto Competition winners, is an unprecedented live performance opportunity that develops young musicians’ interpretation skills in a way practice cannot.

‘New Horizons: A Children’s Program for Life

A once- in-a-lifetime opportunity providing thousands of children a day, or week, of cultural immersion; personal role modeling with the highly trained Russian dancers; and a world class performance experience.

Experiencing Moscow Ballet’s Great Russian Nutcracker performance live is an integral part of the New Horizon experience. It opens children’s awareness to the fantastic physical prowess and artistry of the company as well as the celebration of peace and cultural diversity in the ballet. During the New Horizons immersion sessions, children work 1-on-1 with Moscow Ballet ballerinas in movement, health and art/culture workshops.

Fine Arts

Moscow Ballet presents pioneering “Art, Drawing and Dance” program incorporating the organic relationship between the fine art and the physical, live action of ballet movement bringing the dancers’ body to the canvases and the lens of emerging artists.  The program brings acclaimed ballerinas to pose for art students in their classroom and artists are invited to draw dancers on stage in the performance venues. Ballerinas pose for drawing and photography classes offering their finely developed musculature for the young artists to work from. Students can also attend Moscow Ballet dress rehearsal at the performance venue for more drawing/shooting opportunities.

Interested in a program for your city? Learn More:

The most wonderful aspect of all these programs is its potential to reach into almost any city where Moscow Ballet performs! Classes are uniquely tailored to every organization’s need in terms of format, age, interest, and time. 

September and October are the most opportune times to schedule a New Horizons or Fine Arts program in your city. If you would like to learn more about these offerings and/or know of any organization or institution that would benefit, contact us today: [email protected]