Welcome to Richmond Ballet's Education Department! We strive to bring a professional experience of dance to communities across The Commonwealth. All of our education programs further Richmond Ballet's mission to "Awaken and Uplift the human spirit" and "build a more compassionate community."

Our Story Ballet's always feature a youth performance that includes an opportunity for our audiences to get a behind the scenes look at all the components that create a professional production. Audiences meet performers, see some of the technical aspects of the performance, and learn more about what goes into creating sets and costumes. This is the kind of education we bring to our youth performances before students sit back in the comfort of the Carpenter Theater at Richmond's Center Stage and enjoy a story told through the universal language of dance!

Bringing this same experience of enjoying and understanding a professional performance is the intention behind Richmond Ballet's lecture demonstrations. Lecture Demonstrations are performed in schools across Virginia and often in connection with a Tour Stop by the Ballet's Up and Coming professionals of RICHMOND BALLET II. Interwoven in the performance of an abridged story ballet are some of the most fascinating parts of professional dance and productions. Our Lecture Demonstrations bring students to their feet with plenty of audience participation. Bringing a Lecture Demonstration to your school brings Ballet to life for all of your students!

The cornerstone of Richmond Ballet's education department is Minds In Motion. Minds In Motion is an in-school program that gives students the opportunity to learn about dance and performance by working towards their own performance. Reaching dancers across the state, Minds In Motion's musicians and teaching artists bring unforgettable classes to students weekly for our year-long programs and daily for our residencies. The incremental process of working towards memorizing choreography, making a confident entrance or being able to convey emotion behind dance is crafted throughout the classes with patience and recognition. Students are guided by the musician and teaching artist that comes to their school towards the long-term goal of a performance. For our residency students they share their experience with their school and community at their school. The year-long programs finish with a collaborative, professionally produced performance that includes several schools from the area bringing 300-500 dancers together on stage at one time, joined by Richmond Ballet's professional company!

Each area of our Education Department enriches students and teachers alike with a professional caliber dance experience. No wonder so many of our students say, "I'll remember this day forever!"

See you at the theatre!

Cat Studdard
Minds In Motion Director