Ballet Quad Cities’ Outreach Opportunities
Ballet Quad Cities is proud of our innovative, interactive educational enrichment programs that have touched 60,000 K-12 grade students in the last 10+ years. Due to the superior quality of these programs, Ballet Quad Cities is listed in the Arts and Education Roster of the Illinois Arts Council and in the Artist’s Directory (Artist’s Directory, Performing Artist’s Roster, and Teaching Artist Roster of the Iowa Arts Council. These special listings allow schools an opportunity to receive funding assistance when requesting a visit by Ballet Quad Cities.
Children continue to have the rare opportunity to see a live, professional ballet performance at our ever-popular school matinee. The cost of $3.00 a ticket has remained constant for the last 10 years. Dancers visit the schools before each performance to present “Behind the Ballet”, an interactive program that gets kids up close and personal with the professional dancers. Topics discussed include choreography, props, music, and the storyline of the ballet children will attend. Students learn choreography and try on costumes as well. These visits ensure the student’s attendance at the live ballet performance is memorable and enjoyable.
Education Outreach Programs
Enrichment in the elementary schools takes several forms: DREAMS, Four Steps to Dance Appreciation, Dance For Life, Dance With The Stars, Ballet Quad Cities’ Residencies, and School Matinees.
DREAMS Achieved Through Dance
D.R.E.A.M.S. is a program that offers dance lessons for at-risk students. Dance education is not about training professional dancers; but, rather enforces life skills needed to become successful students and citizens. This program proves that dance is the ideal vehicle to educate students on a variety of academic subjects as well as to strengthen the essential like skills such as Dedication, Responsibility, Education, Ability, Memory, and Self-confidence.
Four Steps to Dance Appreciation
This school residency-program targets all K-6th graders in a school and revolves around dance workshops that introduce grade-specific activities that are both analytical and movement-oriented.
Educational curriculum materials provide teachers with grade specific units that integrate dance with reading, writing, social science, art, and music. The Bettendorf Public Library has created a list of recent dance books, videos and CDs available in area libraries.
Dance for Life: Developing Healthy Lifestyles Through Dance
Dance for Life is a health/wellness program that provides early intervention to establish patterns of good nutrition and non-competitive physical activity that builds positive self-esteem that continues for a lifetime. All students receive a journal and are encouraged to record their eating habits. This program can take place during the school day.
Dance With The Stars
This after-school program provides a rare opportunity for a core group of students to help choreograph a short ballet and then perform it on stage during Ballet Under The Stars at Lincoln Park Classic Theatre.
Ballet Quad Cities’ Residencies
This month-long program brings all components of professional dance directly to the schools: the choreography, the costumes, the athleticism, and the art of dance. Interaction with the professional dancers of BQC allows a greater understanding of this vocation and art by giving students the unique opportunity to actually dance with a professional artist thereby experiencing the integration of music, dance, and visual arts.
The residency experience prepares students to “know the language of dance” by seeing how ideas/stories are expressed in terms of space, speed, force, choreographic form, mood and emotion. The sheer athleticism of dance is unveiled through study, participation, and fun. Students realize that dance is not only an art: it is a sport discipline as well.
SCHOOL MATINEES 2007-2008 SEASON:
School matinees, curriculum guides, and school visits are made possible through a generous grant from the Iowa Arts Council, Illinois Arts Council, Wells Fargo Bank, Community Foundation of the Great River Bend, Bechtel Trusts & Foundations, the Moline Foundation. We thank our sponsors, Phillip & Connie Kassewitz – Merrill Lynch, Quad Cities Junior League, and US Bank for their support as well.
For school groups or home schooling groups wishing to attend matinee performances or needing further information, please contact the Ballet Quad Cities Office at (309) 786-3779 or via email at balletqc@sbcglobal.net.
The Nutcracker:
The school matinee performance of The Nutcracker is Friday, December 7, 2007 at 10:00am. The performance takes place at the Adler Theatre, located at 136 East 3rd Street in downtown Davenport. Performance time is 1 hour and 50 minutes.
The Ugly Duckling:
The school matinee performance of Hans Christian Andersen’s The Ugly Duckling is Thursday, March 6, 2008 at 10:00am. The performance takes place at the Capitol Theatre, located at the corner of 3rd and Ripley Streets in downtown Davenport. Performance time is approximately 45 minutes.
Coppelia:
The school matinee performance of Coppelia is Friday, April 25, 2008 at 10:00am. The performance takes place at the Adler Theatre, located at the 136 East 3rd Street in downtown Davenport. Performance time is approximately 1 hour and 50 minutes.
Community Outreach
Like Education Outreach, Community Outreach programs also take place in several forms: Ballet 101, Historical and Literary Foundations of Dance (A Lecture Series), and Young At Heart. These programs, designed to acquaint and re-acquaint our communities with an appreciation for and understanding of dance performance, provide an avenue for participation in dance at any age.
Ballet 101
An entertaining, interactive lecture-demonstration, introduces community groups and area students to the history of dance and the major components of dance education, costuming and performance. Does dancing on your toes hurt? You will find out in Ballet 101!
Historical and Literary Foundations of Dance
A Lecture Series
This program explores how artists have interpreted dance from the fifteenth century through the present. A slide presentation and lively discussion on this often-overlooked form of human expression pleases any audience.
Young at Heart
This program is a movement class designed specifically for active seniors and is based on the premise that ballet is fun for all ages. Participants gain a finer appreciation of the many different ballet positions as they are incorporated into gentle exercise that increases energy and flexibility.