SAB’s lecture demonstration program began over a decade ago and mirrored a format that existed years before as part of New York City Ballet’s education programming. Its longevity can be attributed to the purity of its cause and the seemingly effortless execution of the program. The aptly-named Beauty of Ballet was crafted with the intention of pulling back the curtain on SAB and demonstrating what it’s like to train at the School, while introducing a variety of audiences to the art of ballet. SAB continues to level up its lecture demonstration series year after year with new programmatic elements, new community venues, and new partnerships in the hopes of sparking a love of ballet for young children and new audiences.
Condensing the dancer’s journey from class to performance into a single hour, The Beauty of Ballet provides context for the progression of SAB’s training through narration from our Director of Children’s/Preparatory Divisions, Katrina Killian, alongside advanced students performing typical classroom exercises. The latter part of the program gives way to the students performing excerpts of classic ballet repertoire in full costume, showcasing how the classwork leads to the dancer’s ability to execute complicated choreography and make it look effortless. The sheer joy and magic of these performances emanates off the stage, as for many dancers, it’s the reason and the reward for their countless hours of training.
Keeping all those successful elements in place, the School of American Ballet made additions to this year’s lecture demonstration series in an effort to create an even more interactive and engaging experience for audience members. Not only did SAB’s Head of Artistic Health and Wellness, Aesha Ash, join Ms. Killian in narrating several of the shows, but there were many other new additions to the cast…
“These programs, while entertaining for all ages, are really geared towards children in the five to seven age range,” Ellen Duddy, SAB’s Senior Manager of Auditions and Outreach explains. “Our hope is that children who see the show, are inspired to audition for the School. To help them make that connection and come to the realization that this is something they can pursue, I wanted to make sure they could see other kids in their age range on stage among the advanced students. We added students from our children’s division into each cast for the first time this year. It really solidifies our goal of having our students inspire fellow kids, and has made the entire experience even more fun for attendees.”
That inspiration is usually happening backstage as well. The opportunity to participate in the lecture demonstrations gives our younger students the chance to share the stage with advanced students they admire. It gives them a closer look at how our older students prepare for performances, along with the special perspective of watching their elder peers from the wings.
In addition to expanding the cast, this year The Beauty of Ballet peppered in more opportunities for audience participation, including more frequent interactive elements during the performance and photo opportunities with the student performers in costume after. In an effort to show more aspects of the SAB experience, as well as the opportunities SAB students have to perform with New York City Ballet, audience members were treated to pre-show videos as they entered the venues as well.
“Our hope is that attendees walk away entertained, informed, and inspired,” says SAB’s Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, Elise Drew León. “We know that these community events can be the first time a child sees ballet in person, and that has the power to be transformative.”
Finally, the School teamed up with the Government + Community Relations team at Lincoln Center to offer additional performances at SAB’s headquarters for neighboring residents and children/families from local education centers and youth programs. The audience was treated to an intimate peek into what it’s like to train at SAB, right inside our studios. The youngest attendees at these special performances were especially captivated, and we hope to continue to work with Lincoln Center to offer more of these performances in the years to come.
In looking back at the many ways our lecture demonstrations grew this year, we are filled with such gratitude and pride that The Beauty of Ballet continues to resonate in our communities more than ever!
March 27, 2024
Hot off the heels of their 90th Anniversary Ball performance, several of our Advanced Division students went right into performances of our delightful lecture demonstration program which we present annually in venues across the boroughs of New York City.
August 10, 2023
SAB graduates presented an hour-long ballet workshop outside on the plaza as part of Lincoln Center’s Summer for the City family programming.
March 9, 2023
These lecture-demonstrations not only provide a perfect introduction to ballet to New York neighborhoods but serve as a valuable experience for the SAB students themselves.
