ARIZONA YOUTH BALLET MESA

The organization was born from a desire to form an organization that could take young aspiring dancers from the dance studio to a professional company. A need was identified by this group for a pre-professional opportunity that mirrored a true professional ballet company in order to prepare the next generation of classical ballet dancers. The young dancers that were taking dance classes were unaware of the requirements to take their love of the craft to a professional stage and environment. Arizona Youth Ballet was created to give them a safe place to experience the highs and lows involved in preparing for a stage production, as well as the demands of auditioning and rehearsing for desired roles, as well as the disappointment of not receiving those assignments. Arizona Youth Ballet does this in a safe and nurturing environment. Part of this experience includes regular, scheduled classes and rehearsals that are dictated by technique level and training.

Although other pre-professional companies existed, the founding group saw a need for a company where the focus was less on sheer technical ability, and more on a well-rounded skill set. They also wanted this to be a safer place for dancers to learn, where bullying was prohibited and dancers of a wide variety of personal, physical, and technical variations would be given the keys to success.

Arizona Youth Ballet’s artistic staff is comprised of professional dancers, both retired and active, who bring a level of experience that includes all sides of the industry. Our artistic staff have all been teaching for a minimum of 20 years each, in addition to their professional careers. This lends to insights and contacts from all sides of the profession, from training to a professional career.

Arizona Youth Ballet provides a weekly technique class each Saturday, with our Artistic Staff, who are classically trained in ballet as well as other dance styles and have extensive experience on the stage and in the classroom. Dancers are required to attend multiple weekly technique classes, at the studio of their choice, the number of which is determined by their company placement.

For dancers pursuing a professional career, our staff provides guidance in audition techniques, introductions, industry insight, and career motivation. Those who are Company members for the love of the craft learn discipline, time management, and responsibility in a competitive industry, as well as skills that can be used for success in future, non-dance, endeavors. Providing a diverse artistic staff ensures we provide our dancers with a well-rounded technical education.

AZYB has recently embarked upon an extended education program, as a service to our community, that includes technique classes taught by guest professional teachers in a variety of genres, as well as classes in areas such as nutrition, stage make-up, resume writing, and audition skills.

We hold open auditions for the company every August. Auditions for our production of The Nutcracker are open to the community. Students from around the Valley chose to perform The Nutcracker with us, without the obligations that accompany annual company membership. This gives community dancers an opportunity to participate in a classical ballet, while receiving expert instruction and guidance from our professional Artistic Staff. We hold mid-year company auditions after The Nutcracker season, when many Nutcracker dancers choose to join our company.

Our biannual full-length performances are open to the community, and are advertised across the valley. Additionally, we engage in community outreach programs to foster an appreciation of classical ballet, at local libraries, bookstores, and schools.

Arizona Youth Ballet has two main beliefs that set us apart from other pre-professional companies. Arizona Youth Ballet understands that our dancers may not have all started their dancing careers with our staff. They are coming to us for further training and performance opportunities. Arizona Youth Ballet requires our company dancers take at least one day a week with our Artistic Staff but they are allowed to continue taking classes at their current studios, until such time as additional training is needed. Further, other companies will age out dancers in a pre-professional program at the age of 18. However, Arizona Youth Ballet knows not all dancers start their career when young. Arizona Youth Ballet has two divisions. One is for dancers under the age of 18 and those over 19 (ages determined at the beginning of the season). The dancers in Division II are expected to mentor and assist the younger dancers as well as train. This helps create a bond with dancers and strengthens the dancers and the company.

Arizona Youth Ballet’s artistic staff is comprised of professional dancers, both retired and active, who bring a level of experience that includes all sides of the industry. Our artistic staff have all been teaching for a minimum of 20 years each, in addition to their professional careers. This lends to insights and contacts from all sides of the profession, from training to a professional career.

Our Artistic Director has maintained contacts in the professional world that she uses to the advantage of the students she now mentors through our program. She has used these contacts to facilitate introductions and auditions for dancers. She has also continued to teach, during breaks, at other programs. She is a highly sought after instructor and continues to teach during breaks at other programs, pre-professional and higher education institutions.

Our Ballet Master continues to dance locally, as well as instruct our dancers. He has also recently worked with dancers training for ballet competition. Until the dissolution, he was a well-regarded member of the Artistic Staff for another local highly regarded dance company. He balances these obligations with his involvement with Arizona Youth Ballet and continues to inspire our dancers.

Further, in order to provide a more rounded experience, Arizona Youth Ballet has added a Contemporary/Modern Instructor to the Artistic Staff. The Instructor has a degree in Modern Dance, as well as a Masters in Business with a specialization in Management and Operations, and has formed, and run, modern dance companies. She taught and choreographed a 10 minute piece that was performed by the entire company during the 2018 Spring performance. This brought a greater depth of technique to dancers looking forward to auditioning for professional companies, where ballet experience alone is insufficient. Even though Arizona Youth Ballet has dancers that have performed, and competed with other dance companies and studios, the experience they received with our Contemporary/Modern Instructor gave them a new confidence in their ability to master new dance forms.

The Board of Directors is made up of 7 volunteers, including involved parents as well as professionals who believe in the mission of Arizona Youth Ballet. Board Members are responsible for liaising with the performance venue Facilities Director, as well as other vendors, and maintaining a working relationship with the studio owners where auditions and rehearsals occur. Board Members work with Committee Heads to ensure needed action items are addressed in a timely manner. The Board is also in charge of marketing of performances and the company, website maintenance, and company merchandise. They conduct all business-related matters, including budgeting and financial direction, to maintain company viability and allow Arizona Youth Ballet to continue providing exceptional technical training.

Arizona Youth Ballet has alumni who have gone on to higher educational dance opportunities as well as accepting professional ballet company contracts. These dancers credit Arizona Youth Ballet’s artistic staff as being instrumental in the training needed to secure these university placements and professional contracts. One of these dancers had previous injuries related to a different company. She has stated that the training and rehabilitation received from our Artistic Director allowed her to not only dance again but to gain the professional contract. Our Artistic Director reached out to the Artistic Director of the professional ballet company to facilitate the audition and introduction. This is an example of the benefit of having an Artistic Director who retired at the peak of her career, and who maintained contacts within the professional world, and uses this to the advantage of the students she now mentors through our program.

Further, in order to provide a more rounded experience, Arizona Youth Ballet has added a Contemporary/Modern Instructor to the Artistic Staff. The Instructor has a degree in Modern Dance, as well as a Masters in Business with a specialization in Management and Operations, and has formed, and run, modern dance companies. She taught and choreographed a 10 minute piece that was performed by the entire company during the 2018 Spring performance. This brought a greater depth of technique to dancers looking forward to auditioning for professional companies, where ballet experience alone is insufficient. Even though Arizona Youth Ballet has dancers that have performed, and competed with other dance companies and studios, the experience they received with our Contemporary/Modern Instructor gave them a new confidence in their ability to master new dance forms.

We continue to grow and learn more about our community in the studio and at large. We have begun adding additional life skill master classes for our dancers. The goal is to not only prepare our dancers for their next audition but for their life step. They learn self-discipline, time management and organizational skills, as well as resume writing and self defense. We recognize the dance world is extremely competitive and there are concerns about dancers and nutrition. We have added a Nutritionist to our volunteer list and she speaks to the company and guest artists each Nutcracker about good nutrition and what a dancers active body needs.