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.

DANCE EDUCATION (BALLET SCHOOL) - NEW BALLET ENSEMBLE & SCHOOL (NBES) TRAINS YOUNG DANCERS IN A QUALITY CLASSICAL BALLET CURRICULUM WITH A SOLID AND VARIED REPERTOIRE, SPEAKING TO DIVERSE COMMUNITIES. 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. THE CURRENT ENROLLMENT IN THE SCHOOL'S PROGRAM IS 190 STUDENTS. APPROXIMATELY 40% OF ENROLLED STUDENTS ATTEND ON SOME FORM OF SCHOLARSHIP. NBE HAS AWARDED OVER $500,000 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 THEIR SCHOLASTIC PURSUITS.

PROFESSIONAL APPRENTICESHIP - NEW BALLET ESTABLISHED THE PAID TRAINEE PROGRAM IN 2005 AS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR STUDENT ARTISTS TO FURTHER THEIR TRAINING AFTER HIGH SCHOOL ON THE PROFESSIONAL LEVEL. THE PROGRAM WAS FORMALIZED IN 2020 AND BECAME KNOWN AS THE TEACHING AND PERFORMING ARTIST APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM. APPRENTICES PARTICIPATE FULL-TIME OR PART-TIME. ALL PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT IS FUNDED ON SALARY WITH ACCOMMODATIONS AND TRAVEL INCLUDED, AND THE APPRENTICE OWNS THEIR CERTIFICATION IN THESE PROGRAMS AS THEY GROW INTO THE SUBSEQUENT PHASES OF THEIR CAREERS. THIS INCLUDES TRAINING WITH THE AMERICAN BALLET THEATER TEACHER TRAINING PROGRAM, DANCE EDUCATION LABORATORY, AND THE NATIONAL DANCE INSTITUTE. NEW BALLET IS DEDICATED TO PROVIDING APPRENTICES WITH THE TRAINING THEY NEED TO SUCCEED AS FUTURE PERFORMERS AND TEACHING ARTISTS, WHETHER THEY REMAIN IN MEMPHIS OR ASCEND TO THE WORLD'S GREAT STAGES! PAST PARTICIPANTS INCLUDE NEW BALLET ALUMNUS BREANA MOORE, RON K. BROWN EVIDENCE, A DANCE COMPANY; MAXX REED SPIDERMAN TURN OFF THE DARK; AND CHARLES "LIL BUCK" RILEY.

SCHOOL PERFORMANCES - THESE ENGAGING PERFORMANCES INCLUDE A VARIETY OF CURRICULUM-BASED STORYTELLING WITH LESSON PLANS ATTACHED TO ADDRESS ARTS, SOCIAL STUDIES, LANGUAGE, AND CREATIVE WRITING OBJECTIVES. THROUGH THESE SCHOOL PERFORMANCES, NBE IMPACTS CHILDREN LIVING IN HISTORICALLY MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES THROUGH PRE-PERFORMANCE CURRICULA, LIVE PERFORMANCES, AND POST-PERFORMANCE EXPERIENTIAL WORKSHOPS. IN ADDITION, NBE STUDENTS AND ENSEMBLE ARTISTS PERFORM IN PARTNERSHIP WITH COMMUNITY-BASED NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS AND COMMUNITY CENTERS AND LIBRARIES, HELPING TO FOSTER A PASSION FOR THE ARTS IN A MULTICULTURAL ENVIRONMENT.

EDUCATION AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROGRAMS - THE NBES PATHWAYS PROGRAM SERVES TEN PUBLIC SCHOOLS ACROSS SHELBY COUNTY WITH FREE DANCE TRAINING FOR ALL STUDENTS AFTER SCHOOL AND DURING THE DAY AS AN ELECTIVE. NBE'S TEACHING ARTISTS LEAD PATHWAYS UNDER THE DIRECTION OF THE DIRECTOR OF PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION, PREPARING STUDENTS FOR ENROLLMENT IN NBE'S CORE PROGRAM WHEN DESIRED BY THE STUDENT AND FAMILY AND WORKING TO BUILD EMOTIONAL RESILIENCE AND MOVEMENT SKILLS IN ALL CHILDREN, REGARDLESS OF THEIR DESIRE TO PURSUE PROFESSIONAL DANCE.