New Ballet Ensemble

THE GOALS OF NEW BALLET ENSEMBLE, INC. ARE TO TRAIN COMMUNITY STUDENTS REGARDLESS OF FAMILY INCOME TO A PROFESSIONAL OR PRE-PROFESSIONAL LEVEL OF DANCE IN ORDER TO PRODUCE DANCERS FROM RACIALLY AND SOCIO-ECONOMICALLY DIVERSE BACKGROUNDS IN THE MEMPHIS AREA; TO PERFORM IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND FOR NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS THAT SERVE YOUTH; TO PROVIDE STUDIO SPACE AT MINIMAL COST TO OTHER NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS; AND TO PROVIDE CLASSES OUTSIDE OF THE CORE PROFESSIONAL TRACT TO CHILDREN WHO CAN BENEFIT FROM DANCE INSTRUCTION BUT MAY NOT PURSUE CAREERS IN DANCE. UTILIZING CROSS-CULTURAL CONNECTIONS AND EXCELLENCE IN DANCE TRAINING, NEW BALLET PROPELS COMMUNITY CHANGE AND TRANSFORMS LIVES THROUGH ARTS EDUCATION.

BALLET SCHOOL - NEW BALLET ENSEMBLE (NBE) TRAINS YOUNG DANCERS IN A QUALITY CLASSICAL BALLET CURRICULUM THAT HAS A STRONG AND VARIED REPERTOIRE THAT SPEAKS TO AN INCREASINGLY DIVERSE WORLD. USING CONSERVATORY TRAINING AS A MODEL, NBE INSTILLS KNOWLEDGE OF WEST AFRICAN DANCE, MODERN DANCE, HIP-HOP AND FLAMENCO WITH BALLET SO THAT THE STUDENTS HAVE ACCESS TO TRAINING PRESENT IN BFA PROGRAMS. CURRENT ENROLLMENT IN THE SCHOOL'S PROGRAM IS 159 STUDENTS. APPROXIMATELY 31% OF ENROLLED STUDENTS ATTEND ON SOME FORM OF SCHOLARSHIP. NBE HAS AWARDED OVER $400,000 IN SCHOLARSHIPS OVER THE PAST DECADE, ENSURING EQUAL ACCESS TO A PROFESSIONAL STANDARD OF TRAINING. IN ADDITION TO FORMAL DANCE TRAINING, NBE PROVIDES MENTORING SERVICES, TUTORING AND COLLEGE PREP SERVICES TO ENROLLED STUDENTS TO AID IN THEIR SCHOLASTIC PURSUITS.

DANCE PERFORMANCES - NEW BALLET (NBE) PRESENTS SEVERAL PUBLIC MAINSTAGE PERFORMANCES ANNUALLY. NO PERFORMANCES IN FY 2021 DUE TO COVID. THESE PERFORMANCES REACH OVER 3,500 AUDIENCE MEMBERS COLLECTIVELY. IN THESE PERFORMANCES, NBE PRESENTS CLASSICAL BALLET JUXTAPOSED WITH THE RAW ENERGY OF URBAN DANCE THAT IS ASSOCIATED WITH NEW BALLET EXCLUSIVELY. NY TIMES DANCE CRITIC ALASTAIR MACULAY'S REVIEW OF NBE'S PERFORMANCE "NUT REMIX" STATED "MOST OF THE PERFORMERS ARE CHILDREN AND THIS PERFORMANCE SEEMED TO BIND ALL INTO A WORLD WHERE BALLET AND HIP-HOP EXIST ON EQUAL TERMS WITH OTHER DANCE FORMS." THESE PERFORMANCES REINFORCE THE IDEA THAT ALL CULTURES CAN BLEND AND BORROW WHILE STILL REMAINING TRUE TO EACH OTHER'S ORIGIN.

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROGRAMS - NEW BALLET'S COMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROGRAMS CENTER ON DANCE RESIDENCIES IN SCHOOLS AND SCHOOL PERFORMANCES. THE ORANGE MOUND COMMUNITY PROJECT IS THE CORE OF THE PROGRAM, FOCUSING ON RECRUITING STUDENTS LIVING IN POVERTY WHO POSSESS THE TALENT AND DESIRE TO ENROLL ON NBE'S DANCE TRAINING ON SCHOLARSHIP. NBE'S TEACHING ARTISTS LEAD THE DANCE RESIDENCY PROGRAM AT DUNBAR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL IN ORANGE MOUND TO PREPARE STUDENTS FOR ENROLLMENT IN NBE'S CORE PROGRAM. THE CURRICULUM INTEGRATES DANCE LESSONS WITH THE SCHOOL'S SCIENCE, MATH, SOCIAL STUDIES, READING AND WRITING CURRICULUM. NBE'S SCHOOL PERFORMANCES INCLUDE 4 CURRICULUM BASED PERFORMANCES WHICH ALL HAVE LESSON PLANS ATTACHED AND ADDRESS CORE SUBJECTS INCLUDING MATH, SCIENCE, SOCIAL STUDIES, LANGUAGE AND CREATIVE WRITING. THROUGH THESE SCHOOL PERFORMANCES, NBE IMPACTS MARGINALIZED SCHOOL CHILDREN THROUGH PRE-PERFORMANCE CURRICULA, LIVE PERFORMANCES AND POST-PERFORMANCE EXPERIMENTIAL WORKSHOPS. IN ADDITION, NBE STUDENTS AND ENSEMBLE ARTISTS PERFORM FOR VARIOUS SHELBY COUNTY SCHOOLS AND NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS, HELPING TO FOSTER A PASSION FOR THE ARTS IN A CROSS-CULTURED ENVIRONMENT.