Relevé means “to rise”. Through this program, we provide ballet training to 280 students from three Milwaukee Public Schools. These students, in 3rd, 4th and 5th grades, begin a three-year ballet training program with weekly classes in our Baumgartner Center for Dance in the Third Ward. We give all students their own pair of ballet shoes and students in 4th and 5th grades are loaned ballet clothing.

In addition to their ballet classes, the young dancers watch our Company dancers in class and rehearsal, giving them the chance to see what a professional dancer’s day is like. The program includes additional enrichment activities such as free tickets to our Student Matinee Series, a Ballet-in-a-Box performance and an end-of-year recital at their schools celebrating their growth and featuring dancers from the Milwaukee Ballet II Program.

Dedicated, focused and talented students are invited to attend the Relevé Summer Program or Milwaukee Ballet School & Academy’s summer maintenance program. Once they graduate from 5^th grade, they have the opportunity to receive a full scholarship to Milwaukee Ballet School & Academy for as long as they would like to dance.

Participating schools in the 2019-20 season include ALBA Elementary School, Allen-Field Elementary School, and Milwaukee Parkside School for the Arts.