Cuyahoga Valley Youth Ballet dba Ballet Excel Ohio

Goals:

• Provide approximately 25 area youth in the BXO Company with pre-professional dance training with opportunities to perform, to learn from guest choreographers and master class instructors and, develop leadership skills, a strong work ethic, self-discipline and confidence;

• Present ballet as a timeless art form to over 7,000 audience members, focusing on increasing the diversity of the audiences through outreach efforts;

• Strengthen collaborative partnerships and engage new partners to distribute over 1,000 free and hundreds of reduced-price tickets to full-scale, full-length productions of Beauty and the Beast held at the Akron Civic Theatre;

• Hold sensory-friendly performance for children with sensory processing and autism spectrum disorders and Down Syndrome;

• Provide 15-20 free BXO performances at community venues as COVID conditions allow;

• Provide expert dance instruction tied to school curriculum to over 350 APS 2nd graders. Schools will receive study guides and families will get information packets, including free tickets to BXO’s Spring Ballet at the Akron Civic Theatre, and the students will have the chance to perform for their schools;

• Offer full scholarships to approximately 35 2nd graders to continue dance instruction, available for 10 years, and continue scholarships to students in the BXO Company; and

• Conduct program evaluations and study impact of scholarships on academic performance of BXO students.

BXO changes children’s lives through dance, through its core programs:

The BXO Company is comprised of male and female dancers ages 8 to 18, who receive intensive, pre-professional ballet instruction, including working with renowned guest choreographers and master class instructors, all of whom are nationally recognized and who have been principal dancers in major professional companies. BXO Company members also participate in annual leadership development workshops, and annually perform a full-scale ballet production at its Spring Ballet held at the Akron Civic Theatre, and at free community performances throughout the region.
BXO sets the highest standards of quality for its dancers. For decades students have received intensive instruction, developing a strong work ethic and life skills, such as commitment to excellence, self-discipline, team-building and leadership, which have prepared the Company dancers for success throughout their lifetimes academically and professionally. The list of alumni who have gone on to perform in professional companies is pages long. One of the greatest testaments to BXO’s quality is that it is part of a highly selective group of ballet companies that is granted ballets from the Balanchine Trust.

Reach Out and Dance® (ROAD), BXO’s outreach programs bring ballet to more diverse and underserved populations, and include:

• BXO on Tour, which has performed annually since 1976 for thousands of audience members, makes dance free and accessible by bringing it directly to schools, libraries, and other local venues. When performing in schools BXO provides a curriculum guide which addresses the theme, story and arts objectives meeting Common Core Standards.

• The Community Tickets Program is a BXO partnership with close to 20 community organizations including Big Brothers Big Sisters, YMCAs, Boys and Girls Clubs, and the Scouts, to distribute to approximately 1,500 free and hundreds of reduced-price tickets for BXO’s Spring Ballet.

• ROAD in the classrooms provides over 300 2nd grade Akron Public Schools (APS) students each year with free dance instruction in their classrooms, which complements classroom work with annual choreography themes aligned with Ohio’s Learning Standards. Classes include a minimum of two instructors and one musician. ROAD students participate in a school-wide ROAD performance and have the opportunity to perform in BXO Company community performances and onstage for the BXO Spring Ballet at the Akron Civic Theatre. Students selected to dance with the Company for the Spring Ballet will have the special opportunity to work with world class choreographers and take class and rehearsals alongside the Company dancers. ROAD schools receive study guides for teachers, information packets for families, and free tickets to BXO’s Spring Ballet.

• BXO’s scholarship program provides the opportunity for interested students beginning in the 2nd grade to continue their training through full scholarships.

With over 40 years of experience and expertise working with children and providing pre-professional ballet instruction, Ballet Excel Ohio is widely regarded for its high quality and impact upon its dancers. It utilizes nationally renowned choreographers and master class instructors each year, and students have the opportunities for numerous performances including a full scale production at a theater.

Ballet Excel Ohio (BXO) has enriched the lives of thousands of students over the years. The intensive, pre-professional instruction and opportunities provided have developed life long skills of commitment to excellence, self-discipline and teamwork, helping to ensure success in their adult lives, regardless of the careers chosen.

Committed to diversity and accessibility to dance regardless of ability to pay, approximately 1/3 of BXO's audiences and dancers are made up of minority and underserved populations.