DanceAIR Performance
New Haven Ballet will return to ECA ACES Arts Hall on Friday, May 9, at 6:30 p.m. to celebrate the young dancers participating in this year’s DanceAIR program. Scholarship winners from each school and the Q House will be awarded.
New Haven Ballet’s DanceAIR program offers free ballet classes for young children at the Q House and in New Haven public elementary schools. Through partnerships with New Haven public schools and LEAP (Leadership, Education and Athletics in Partnership, Inc.), New Haven Ballet provides high-quality arts education, broadens students’ understanding and appreciation of dance and the performing arts, teaches basic dance techniques and choreography, and allows children to express themselves artistically by integrating musicality and rhythm. Students experience the artistry and musicality of dance, which emphasizes self-discipline, athleticism, coordination, creativity, strength, balance, and flexibility.
According to Henry Hernandez, “As the Executive Director of LEAP, a nonprofit dedicated to empowering young people through educational and enrichment opportunities, I have had the privilege of witnessing firsthand the remarkable impact that these free ballet classes have had on the children and families in our community. Beyond the weekly classes, New Haven Ballet has enriched our community through its generosity and commitment to arts accessibility. The free Nutcracker performances in December 2022 and 2023 at the Q House were extraordinary cultural experiences that brought the magic of ballet to families who may not have had the opportunity to attend a professional production. Additionally, Q House students performed in The Nutcracker this past December and will further showcase their talents at the ECA ACES Arts Hall during the upcoming DanceAIR performance and at the Shubert Theatre in the Spring Production of Adventures in Wonderland. Many Q House students recently attended their first school-wide rehearsal for Adventures in Wonderland and are excited about performing at the Shubert.”
New Haven schools offering DanceAIR training include Fair Haven School, Truman School, Edgewood Creative Thinking Through STEAM Magnet School, Lincoln-Bassett Community School, and Barack H. Obama Magnet University School. These students will be joined by Q House students and dancers from the New Haven Ballet Company for a one-hour performance at ECA ACES Arts Hall, located at 55 Audubon Street, New Haven, on Friday, May 9, at 6:30 p.m. Doors will open at 6:00 p.m. The performance lasts one hour and has free admission.
New Haven Ballet is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. This performance is made possible by the generosity and support of our partners: ECA ACES, the City of New Haven Department of Arts, Culture, and Tourism, the Anna Fitch Ardenghi Trust, the Community Foundation for Greater New Haven, and our valued partnership with the Dixwell Community House. We are deeply grateful for their contributions and faith in our mission to provide high-quality arts education to young children in New Haven.
If you would like more information about this event or New Haven Ballet, please call Ruth Barker at 203-782-9038 or email administrator@newhavenballet.org.
Photo of young dancer preparing to perform in the DanceAIR performance. Kelsey Paff Photography (c) 2024.