News & Events

Princess Tea and Children's Fashion Show

The Gillioz Theatre
Apr 03, 2010

Goldilocks and the Three Bears

The Landers Theatre
Apr 17, 2010

(See All Events)

Ballet Supporters

(See All Sponsors)

Newsletter

Submit

Outreach Education

Springfield Ballet is committed to making dance accessible to those who might otherwise not have the opportunity to experience the ballet. Through programs such as Dance Chance, C.U.S.P. and performances of The Nutcracker for all Springfield Public School second graders, the Ballet is able to touch the lives of underserved children throughout Southwest Missouri.

Dance Chance, formed in the spring of 2007, is a program formed in collaboration with the Community Foundation of the Ozarks in which the Ballet works in partnership with Robberson Elementary, the Community Center of Springfield, and Caring Communities to provide transportation, tuition scholarships, and instruction to its participants. In the spring of 2009, participants presented their first in-studio performance to demonstrate the dance skills they learned over the course of the year. Nearly one hundred children have benefited from this program in its short existence.

C.U.S.P. (Children Underserved in Springfield Program) makes dance accessible to children and their caregivers by providing tickets to every Springfield Ballet main-stage performance. Organizations that have benefited from this program include: Big Brothers/Big Sisters, Boys and Girls Club, Caring Communities, CASA, Child Advocacy Center, Community Center of Springfield, Lost and Found, McGregor Elementary, Parenting Life Skills Center, Regional Girls Shelter, Robberson Elementary, and Wilson’s Creek Elementary.

Second Grade Performances of The Nutcracker—Since 1996 Springfield Ballet has provided bussing for every second grader in the Springfield Public Schools system to attend a performance of The Nutcracker. This program is designed to provide exposure and awareness of classical ballet to all children. To enhance the educational process, lesson plans are provided to the schools to be completed before attending the performance. For many of the children, this is their first experience being in a theatre setting and viewing classical ballet.