For the Community

Relevé students from Allen-Field Elementary School

Outreach in the Community

The community outreach programs fit perfectly with the ballet's mission to create a passion for ballet through inspirational performances, and to enrich the lives of our audiences and educate our students by presenting the unique beauty of dance.

Milwaukee Ballet's Department of Education gives you the chance to request programming for your school or community center, but we also participate in private programs and educational initiatives. Read more to find out what kinds of work we are doing in the community and stay tuned for updates throughout the year.

Relevé students from Allen-Field Elementary School

Relevé students from Dover Street Elementary School

The Relevé Program

Relevé (reh-luh-VAY - “to rise” or “raised”) is Milwaukee Ballet’s inner-city dance program. Formerly IDY (Identify Dance for Youth), this program provides ballet training equal to the training provided at Milwaukee Ballet School, for nearly students at three MPS schools. Students in 3rd, 4th and 5th grades from ALBA, Allen-Field and Dover Street Elementary Schools begin a three year ballet training program with a weekly class in the Milwaukee Ballet studios at the Jodi Peck Center.

The young dancers have the chance to observe Milwaukee Ballet Company dancers in class and rehearsal, giving them the chance to see what a professional dancer’s day is like while they take class in a real studio with instructors who also teach for Milwaukee Ballet School.

All students are given their own pair of ballet shoes to keep and students in 4th and 5th grades are lent proper ballet clothes to wear. The program includes additional enrichment activities such as free tickets to The Nutcracker, an in-school Ballet-in-a-Box performance and an end-of-year recital at their schools featuring dancers from the Nancy Einhorn Milwaukee Ballet II Program.

“Our students come from low-income homes and have very little exposure to the fine arts. Through the program, each child has been able to participate and experience ballet, as well as to view performances by Milwaukee Ballet. I know that without the Relevé program, we would not have the opportunity to expose the students to this type of dance.”
– Annemarie Schaff, Teacher, Allen-Field Elementary School

Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra’s Arts in Community Education Program (ACE)

This nationally acclaimed program enhances students’ total education through the integration of music and other art forms into the overall school curriculum. Teachers at 21 ACE schools receive comprehensive materials and in-service training, as well as ongoing support as they find new and creative ways to teach via the arts. Seventy-eight ensembles, including both MSO musicians and local arts groups, visit the school to provide live arts experience and support the curriculum. At the end of the year, families have the opportunity to attend evening concerts featuring the ACE ensembles, creating a bridge between in-school education and family activities. Milwaukee Ballet Company dancers teach workshops for 2nd graders at 20 elementary schools as part of the ACE program.

new community

Director of Education Alyson Chavez with students from Urban Day School

Community Collaborations

In the 2008-09 season, Milwaukee Ballet’s Department of Education worked with 47 organizations throughout Milwaukee and the southeastern Wisconsin area. Some of our most notable partnerships include: