The Sarasota Ballet is honored to introduce many children in our community to their very first live, classical ballet experience. Through Dance Education Experiences, the Ballet partners with schools across Manatee, Sarasota, and Charlotte counties, engaging students with in-classroom workshops, in-school performances, and special School Matinees at FSU’s Center for the Performing Arts.
In the Classroom is part of our Fall offerings, where The Sarasota Ballet comes into schools to conduct an interactive learning workshop about how a ballet comes to life. The workshop combines informational teaching segments with live ballet demonstrations and audience participation. Dancers from The Sarasota Ballet’s Studio Company and The Margaret Barbieri Conservatory illustrate as a narrator guides students through the rich history of ballet, the formation of dance characters, and interactive participation while learning about a chosen story ballet. This program is intended for 3rd – 5th graders and will involve educators and dancers coming into schools. It could be presented at an assembly for all students, within an open classroom, or for specific school groups.
Throughout the entire academic year, The Sarasota Ballet comes into schools offering interactive and introductory ballet lecture demonstrations. These are wonderful ways to introduce students to classical ballet or to reinforce academic curricula such as music, history, or science.
The Sarasota Ballet presents a rare and exciting opportunity for elementary students to attend a special interactive learning experience like no other. Students are treated to a performance, at the theater, featuring dancers from The Sarasota Ballet’s Studio Company and The Margaret Barbieri Conservatory as they bring story ballets to life. The Sarasota Ballet’s School Matinée Performances are led by an Emcee offering informational teaching segments which guide students through live performance segments and audience participation.
The Sarasota Ballet will offer School Matinée performances to be held at the Mertz Theater on the campus of Florida State University in Sarasota. While targeted for 3rd & 4th graders, these performances are suitable for middle and high schoolers as well.