Orlando Ballet Enrich – Intro to Ballet

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Program Objective:

To provide all second-grade students in Orange County experience with a live, professional production of The Nutcracker.

Program Description:

Thanks to a valuable partnership with Orange County Public Schools, approximately 16,000 second-grade students throughout Orange County are given the opportunity to experience a live performance of The Nutcracker, presented by Orlando Ballet. As part of this partnership, Community Enrichment provides teachers with a study guide with materials designed to enrich and enhance the experience of students at the performance. Created in connection with the state standards of education, this study guide includes five arts-integrated lesson plans that prepare students for their experience at the ballet. The lessons also give students the opportunity to be creators themselves!. Students and teachers are encouraged to share their creativity with Orlando Ballet for a chance to be featured on our social media pages.

TESTIMONIALS

“The Nutcracker experience allows all 2nd grade students to experience the joy and excitement of a story told through dance. It is also an opportunity to build community by attending a live performance in a professional theatre with other schools. Seeing a live performance teaches our students about proper audience etiquette, plus it allows them to see children and professional dancers perform together on stage and reminds them that everyone has the opportunity to become a performer!”

Christy Kowal, Ivey Lane Elementary School teacher

2023 Intro to Ballet Packet

“The Nutcracker guidebook not only invites all 2nd grade students to explore the characters, setting, and themes of The Nutcracker, but to explore how movement serves as a form of storytelling. They learned how to control their bodies in motion, strengthened their ability to work collectively and collaboratively with one another, and demonstrated how dialogue can be shared without saying a single word. Creativity and self-expression are not only elements that these students watch professional dancers execute, but skills actively being built and applied throughout the trajectory of the program. “

Maria Cary, Former Program Specialist for Theatre and Dance with Orange County Public Schools