Richmond Ballet Inc

RICHMOND BALLET AWAKENS, UPLIFTS, AND UNITES HUMAN SPIRITS THROUGH THE POWER OF DANCE. DEDICATED TO THE EVOLUTION OF BALLET AS A VERSATILE LANGUAGE OF MOVEMENT THAT CROSSES NATIONAL AND CULTURAL BOUNDARIES, WE SEEK TO DRAW AN EVER BROADER RANGE OF ARTISTS, STUDENTS, AND AUDIENCES TO EXPERIENCE THE MAGIC OF DANCE THROUGH INSPIRING PERFORMANCES, OUTSTANDING TRAINING, AND MEANINGFUL COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.

PROFESSIONAL COMPANY PERFORMANCES - RICHMOND BALLET IS ONE OF VIRGINIA'S FINEST ART AND DANCE EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS AND HAS GAINED NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL ACCLAIM AS A PREMIER DANCE ORGANIZATION. NEARLY 40,000 PEOPLE IN AND AROUND THE RICHMOND, VA AREA JOINED RICHMOND BALLET FOR THREE REPERTORY PRODUCTIONS AS WELL AS FULL LENGTH PRODUCTIONS OF "CARMINA BURANA AND "THRIVE", "THE NUTCRACKER", AND "DRACULA." RICHMOND BALLET ALSO COMPLETED TOURS AND LECTURE DEMONSTRATIONS AT VARIOUS SCHOOLS AND LOCALITIES THROUGHOUT THE COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA, INCLUDING VIRGINIA BEACH, REACHING ALMOST 25,000 STUDENTS AND OVER 4,000 COMMUNITY PATRONS.

DONTATION TO RBBC.

DANCE SCHOOL - THE SCHOOL OF RICHMOND BALLET OFFERS TRAINING IN A WIDE VARIETY OF DANCE FORMS, INCLUDING BALLET, MODERN, THEATER DANCE, AND CHARACTER. WITH NO AUDITION REQUIREMENT, ADMISSION TO THE SCHOOL IS INCLUSIVE. DANCE CLASSES ARE PROVIDED TO OVER 1,000 STUDENTS, AGES 4 TO ADULT, 7 DAYS A WEEK. THE SCHOOL ALSO PROVIDES ADVANCED TRAINING FOR QUALIFIED STUDENTS WHO PERFORM WITH THE BALLET'S PROFESSIONAL DANCE COMPANY. ABOUT $275,000 GIVEN IN FINANCIAL AID AND SCHOLARSHIPS HELPED OVER 100 STUDENTS PARTICIPATE IN DANCE CLASSES THIS YEAR.

MINDS IN MOTION (MIM) - MIM IS RICHMOND BALLET'S PRIMARY COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROGRAM, REACHING ABOUT 1,000 CHILDREN FROM A RANGE OF SOCIOECONOMIC BACKGROUNDS. THIS IN-SCHOOL PROGRAM FEATURES AN ENGAGING, MOVEMENT-BASED CURRICULUM TAUGHT BY PROFESSIONAL TEACHING ARTISTS AND MUSICIANS IN SCHOOLS THROUGHOUT VIRGINIA. MIM STRIVES TO NURTURE SELF-CONFIDENCE IN STUDENTS AND ENDEAVORS TO CULTIVATE COMMUNICATION AND TEAMWORK SKILLS. TEACHING ARTISTS FOLLOW A CURRICULUM THAT GUIDES STUDENTS TOWARD MASTERY OF COMPLEX MOVEMENT, TIMING, AND CHOREOGRAPHY. THROUGH THE EXPERIENCE OF SUCCESSFUL GROUP LEARNING, STUDENTS PERCEIVE AND MODEL THE VALUE AND BENEFITS OF TEAMWORK AND RESPECTFUL COMMUNICATION. THE PROGRAM CONCLUDES WITH AN ORIGINAL PRODUCTION PRESENTED FOR A LIVE AUDIENCE, THEMED THIS YEAR AROUND EXPLORING THE EXTRAORDINARY RESOURCES OF THE CHESAPEAKE BAY, THE RELATIONSHIPS AND ECOSYSTEMS THAT EXIST IN IT, AND HOW WE CAN HELP PROTECT AND PRESERVE IT. APPROXIMATELY 50% OF PARTICIPANTS ATTEND A TITLE I SCHOOL OR A TUITION-FREE INDEPENDENT SCHOOL PRIMARILY SERVING LOW-INCOME STUDENTS. SINCE ITS INCEPTION, MIM REMAINS THE ONLY PROGRAM OF ITS KIND IN THE COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA. OVER 700 STUDENTS FROM FIFTEEN PARTICIPATING SCHOOLS IN THE RICHMOND AREA CELEBRATED THEIR DANCE ACHIEVEMENTS IN A CULMINATING PERFORMANCE WITH OVER 3,500 PEERS, FAMILIES AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS IN THE AUDIENCE. THROUGH ITS RESIDENCY PROGRAM, MIM ALSO REACHED ANOTHER 125 STUDENTS AND 400 COMMUNITY MEMBERS IN PORTSMOUTH, VIRGINIA.