ATLANTA — The Atlanta Ballet is expanding access to dance training as it approaches its 100th anniversary with scholarships for children who can’t afford classes.
The company has called Atlanta home since 1929 and says it is the oldest ballet company in America. It was founded by Dorothy Moses Alexander and serves as the official state ballet of Georgia.
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Its education work happens through the Atlanta Ballet Centre for Dance Education.
“It teaches you focus, discipline, grace, of course, but the athleticism that it has is pretty phenomenal, and you have to learn so much while you’re even performing, and just it’s really, really wonderful tool,” Sharon Story, dean of the Atlanta Ballet, said.
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The center says it wants to open its studio doors to children who love to dance but can’t afford the training.
Last year, it awarded more than $166,000 in scholarships to young dancers.
“It takes a decade really to become a professional dancer. So we have specific dancers that we pick from the age of eight. And they’re on scholarship for ten years, total ten years full scholarships,” Story said.
The program pays for uniforms, fees and summer programs.
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Elise Baumann, co-chair of Corps de Ballet, said the group is helping support those dancers as they move from early training to performing on stage.
“We’ll have a fashion show. We’ll also be featuring a dance performance from the second company, and it’s a really unique event from other events in Atlanta because you do have this experience of both of those, both the fashion show and the dancers,” Baumann said.
The Corps de Ballet luncheon with Neiman Marcus is Oct. 5 at the St. Regis. People can attend or make a donation to help young dancers.
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