New Haven Ballet is dedicated to sharing our love of dance with the broadest possible audience. We invite the community to learn and engage in dance through our community programming. It is our hope to cultivate and educate a new generation of dancers and arts advocates.
COMMUNITY PROGRAMS
SHARED ABILITY
New Haven Ballet’s Shared Ability program consists of weekly dance workshops where dancers with and without disabilities create performances. Classes are wheelchair accessible and led by Kerry Kincy, a teaching artist who uses dance as a tool to build social and cognitive abilities. The program affords participating artists, including those with Autism Spectrum Disorder, Down Syndrome, cerebral palsy, and other challenges, and their families a chance to dance, meet, interact, and share their unique experiences in a safe and supportive environment.
Contact Ruth Barker at Tel. 203-782-9038 or Email administrator@newhavenballet.org for accommodation requests.
New Haven Ballet began Shared Ability in February 2009.
DANCE AIR
At the heart of New Haven Ballet is a simple belief: every child deserves the opportunity to experience the arts. DanceAIR was created to bring high-quality dance instruction directly into public schools and community spaces that serve historically underserved communities, removing financial barriers so students and families can participate at no cost.
Each year, DanceAIR serves approximately 100 students across six New Haven public elementary schools and at the Dixwell Community House (Q House). The program reaches children from neighborhoods including Dixwell, Fair Haven, Hill North, Newhallville, West River/Dwight, and West Rock/West Hills, young people with a strong interest in dance, but limited access to formal training.
Through weekly classes over the course of the school year, students are introduced to ballet technique while also exploring movement and creating original work of their own. Just as important, they are building confidence, learning to collaborate, and discovering new ways to express themselves.
The program culminates in a performance at Fair Haven School, where students take the stage alongside dancers from the New Haven Ballet Company. For many, it is their first experience performing under professional lighting and sound. And for the audience, it’s a powerful celebration of their work. The performance is free and open to the community.
For students who want to continue, scholarships are awarded at the performance, opening the door to further training at New Haven Ballet School. In recent years, DanceAIR students have also gone on to perform in New Haven Ballet’s full-length production of The Nutcracker at the Shubert Theatre.
One of this season’s Company dancers is a former DanceAIR student and scholarship recipient, an example of the program’s lasting impact.
DanceAIR is led by Children’s Division Director Timothy Fountain and made possible through partnerships with New Haven Public Schools, the Dixwell Community House (Q House), and LEAP (Leadership, Education & Athletics in Partnership).
More than anything, DanceAIR is about belonging. It gives students the opportunity to see themselves as dancers, artists, and part of a vibrant cultural community, and helps ensure that the arts in New Haven reflect everyone in the city.
For information about DanceAIR call 203-782-9038 or email: administrator@newhavenballet.org
Photos: ©Thomas Giroir Photography
