Los Gatos Ballet is committed to fostering the love of dance and making it accessible to all age groups and socio-economic backgrounds. It is our goal to provide high quality, in-depth educational and enrichment opportunities for the community.
“Arts education is crucial in developing well-rounded students. In addition to fostering physical fitness and an active lifestyle, exposure to the study and practice of dance helps students gain valuable skills in critical thinking and creative problem solving. Through ongoing exposure, “academic research shows a clear, positive and demonstrable link between involvement in the arts and students’ academic achievement, engagement with learning, motivation, self-esteem, and the ability to collaborate with others.”
(Silicon Valley Community Foundation Arts & Culture Issue Brief, 2007)
Leaps and Bounds is a dance-in-schools program that was developed to introduce ballet to children who might not otherwise have the opportunity. Alison Ahmed developed this program in 2008, serving the second grade in a Title 1 school in San Jose. The success of this program over the years has increased the service level to three schools annually. Over the academic season, LGB faculty members couple in a 4 to 6 week in-school program that concludes with a showcase for families. All participating schools are invited to free and/or discounted Outreach Performances for further exposure to the magnificence and beauty of the performing arts.
Thank you, Alison, for your dedication and belief in the transformative power of dance! Thank you to the LGB Faculty for passing on your passion and love of dance!
The program includes the following benefits:
- Teaches children ballet basics: elementary stretches and steps, simple choreography, dance vocabulary, musical timing and rhythms
- Collaborates with the school’s performing arts teacher to integrate ballet instruction into the performing arts classroom curriculum
- Incorporates age-appropriate California State Performing Arts Standards into instruction
- Provides the school children with positive role models, along with giving the dancers the opportunity to gain mentoring experience
- Offers children who rarely go on field trips the opportunity to attend the LGB performances
- Builds relationships with classroom teachers and parents with the future goal of finding ways to fully integrate dance and arts education into the classroom and the children’s every day lives
If you are an educator or activities director and would like your organization to participate in or receive information on any of our programs including the Community Matinees or our Leaps and Bounds program, please contact us: 408-399-7577 or email.
What people are saying about the Outreach Program:
“Instruction in the arts provides children with freedom of expression within a structured and focused environment that they do not get in other types of activities. It requires mental focus and physical discipline. I loved watching my students get excited. I enjoyed watching as each one figured out what it was they were doing and how it fit into the whole piece. The instructors were very capable handling a group of children and they shared their love of their profession and it came across to the students.”
-Ingrid O’Donoghue, Van Meter Elementary
“Dear Mr. Pete
Thank you for teaching us Ballet. You and Mis Kristen are the best Ballet teachers in the world. I LOV BALLET!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”
-Anonymous student from Van Meter Elementary