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Students arrive at the ballet.
Photograph: ©Copyright K. Myers 2003 |
Program Goals and Mission
The goal of Inland Pacific Ballet's Educational Outreach Program is to present ballet to young people in a way that will have an enduring impact on their lives. Through A Young Person's Guide to the Ballet (YPG) our youth will see that the world of ballet is not elitist, but speaks to them powerfully and directly. With the decline of arts education in public schools, Inland Pacific Ballet's Educational Outreach Program is a vital cultural resource for children in the visual, musical, and movement arts in Los Angeles and the Inland Empire. Inland Pacific Ballet promotes the unique power of the performing arts to nourish our communities by enriching the lives of our children.
Program Description
Inland Pacific Ballet's Educational Outreach Program is the most extensive of its kind in Southern California, bringing the beauty of ballet and classical music to thousands of children each year. Students from public, private, home schooled and special needs schools take exciting field trips to the historic Bridges Auditorium in Claremont to see traditional ballets such as Coppélia and The Nutcracker as well as new classics like Inland Pacific Ballet's original children's ballet The Little Mermaid & Cinderella.
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Bridges' Interior. Seating capacity 2400
Photograph: ©Copyright E.Y.Yanagi 2006 |
The annual YPG program typically includes 8 to 10 special morning performances of ballets chosen from Inland Pacific Ballet's repertoire that are especially suited to young audiences. Each Educational Outreach performance includes a lecture/demonstration on ballet and stage technique, which also describes the workings of a live theater and shows how a dancer tells a story without words. During the lecture/demonstration audience members are encouraged to participate in simple movement activities in their seats. Students then view a lavish professional ballet performance, followed by a lively question and answer period and an opportunity to meet the performers afterwards. For YPG we utilize one of the Inland Empire's treasures, historic Bridges Auditorium. This grand structure has an immediate, awe-inspiring impact on young people, and with a seating capacity of 2,400, is suitable for the large student audiences that attend.
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Stage demonstration.
Photograph: ©Copyright K.Myers 2003 |
Program History and Success
Inland Pacific Ballet's Educational Outreach Program has experienced sustained and resounding success in its 13 year history, consistently serving 8 to 10 thousand K-12 students each year. Through successful partnerships with many corporations, foundations and individuals this program thrives. Together we have made the Educational Outreach Program available to over 100,000 students. At a time when meaningful arts education in public schools is rare, A Young Person's Guide to the Ballet is more important than ever and makes the performing arts accessible to lower-income and under-served culturally diverse communities. Over 61% of the 52 public school districts that participate in YPG are above the California State average for participation in the Free and Reduced Meal Program.
At $5 a child for each Outreach performance, our Educational Outreach Program is one of the most affordable in the region. YPG provides students with an introduction to a world of culture and tradition, which would be otherwise unavailable to them. Support from corporations, foundations and individuals is essential to make up the balance of funds needed to meet expenses.
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Kids love the ballet!
Photograph: ©Copyright K.Myers 2003 |
Special Scout Performance Schedule Student Outreach Performance Schedule |
