Pointe To Succeed-

An Educational Outreach Program

Saint Louis Ballet is proud to announce that its Pointe to Success program kicked off February 18th at Saint Louis the King School, serving students from a wide range of socioeconomic backgrounds. The educational

outreach program is supported by U.S. Bank and individual contributors.

Led by Saint Louis Ballet’s new Education Manager, CiCi Houston, the program is part of a national effort to

introduce ballet to minority students and to audiences who may not have the opportunity to experience the beauty of the art form.

Students with the potential to succeed may also be considered for scholarships for more rigorous ballet training.

In its first installment at Saint Louis the King School, Saint Louis Ballet will introduce third through fifth grade students to the world of Swan Lake. After a storybook reading with the dancers, students will attend a live performance of Saint Louis Ballet’s Swan Lake at the Touhill Performng Arts Center. An interactive seminar will then allow them to experience the ballet first-hand.

Saint Louis Ballet plans to expand Pointe to Success by adding additional program sites in the next three years. For more information about Saint Louis Ballet’s education programs, please contact CiCi Houston at cicihouston@stlouisballet.org.

Vision Statement

Saint Louis Ballet (SLB) is on an incredible journey to become one of the region’s preeminent institutions for the creation and presentation of classical and contemporary ballet. As part of this vision, we invest significant resources into educating both the next generation of dancers and future patrons of the arts through our ballet school and our introductory public performances. To further this reach, we are proud to announce a new education initiative for the St. Louis community: Pointe to Succeed—offered free of cost to participating schools—will promote the art of ballet with a 3-pronged approach, featuring: ballet education, audience development, and talent development.

What are the issues we are addressing?                

1)   Diversity in Ballet

2)   Lack of opportunities for underserved schools

3)   Cultural disconnect for at-risk students

4)   Hesitancy to attend live performances

What do we strive to impact?

1)   Demonstrate that dance is available to everyone

2)   Show young people that a career in the arts is possible to pursue

3)   Provide exposure of ballet and a transition into a formal training atmosphere

4)   Create a welcoming and exciting live performance experience for young, first-time theater attendees

Who do we aim to help?