| by Kacie Galloway | The children watched with wide eyes as their instructors leapt through the air and spun around in the gymnasium. At once, you could tell that the kids wanted to emulate the elegant moves as they listened carefully and tried to do their own pirouettes.
These children were taking part in a ballet class provided by CityDance, Texas Ballet Theater's new outreach program. CityDance works to provide free ballet classes to elementary students throughout the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex and has had great success. Many of the children who participate in the classes are at-risk and would not otherwise be able to take dance classes, and CityDance provides them with a convenient, fun and educational opportunity to learn more about ballet.
By partnering with schools, community centers and nonprofits, CityDance was able to reach more than 1,000 children in its first year, tripling in size since the Ballet's previous outreach program.
While the rapid growth can pose a challenge, Program Director and Texas Christian University graduate Merideth Tullous was grateful for the program's success.
"Every school that has partnered with us has asked us to come back," she said.
In addition to providing free ballet classes, CityDance also focuses on building long-term alliances with partnering organizations by coming to events, working at career days and forming relationships with the students who have taken the classes. "We don't just come in and teach and then leave," Tullous said.
A professional dancer and instructor herself, Tullous enjoys teaching the classes and seeing the children's eyes light up when they learn.
"Watching the children enjoy the class and watching that spark is the most rewarding part," she said.
CityDance has recently received a $10,000 grant from Texas Women for the Arts to continue performing their work in North Texas. The grant will cover administrative costs, professional instruction for the children and provide scholarships to promising students so they may continue their dance education at Texas Ballet Theater. This year four students have received these full-ride scholarships to TBT.
The free classes offered through CityDance include basic ballet instruction and an introduction to the French vocabulary used in ballet. The classes also go further than dance by teaching students discipline, self-expression, the importance of physical activity and encouraging passion for the arts. Students are also given a voucher to attend an upcoming Texas Ballet Theater performance to further expand their knowledge and appreciation of ballet.
