Formed in the spring of 2007, the Dance Chance program is a partnership with Springfield Public Schools and Springfield Ballet to provide free dance instruction to children at Title I schools. Each fall, Springfield Ballet instructors and students provide an in-school demonstration during an assembly at each participating school. Children then enrolled in the program participate in an after-school session of weekly ballet classes, taught by Springfield Ballet instructors, that are provided at the students' homeschool. At the completion of each 7-9 week session, participants demonstrate what they’ve learned for family and friends in a public performance. More than 1,500 children have benefited from this program since its inception.

During the 2022-2023 season, Springfield Ballet instructors will visit Fremont Elementary, Pittman Elementary, Mark Twain Elementary, McGregor Elementary, Jeffries Elementary, Robberson Elementary and Weaver Elementary for their weekly dance instruction to children in grades kindergarten through third.

 This program is supported by:

Since 1996, Springfield Ballet has provided busing for every second grader in the Springfield Public Schools system to attend a live, abridged performances at the historic Landers Theatre. This program is designed to expose all children to the art of ballet at an early age as part of the Any Given Child initiative. To enhance the learning experience, lesson plans are provided to the schools to be completed before attending the performance. For many of the children, this is their first experience being in a live theatre setting and viewing classical ballet. More than 46,000 students have been a part of this outreach project since it began!

Springfield Ballet is proud to be a part of Springfield's Any Given Child initiative, which seeks to bring access, balance, and equity to each child's arts education, using a model that combines the resources of Springfield Public Schools, local art groups, and the Kennedy Center for students in kindergarten through eighth grade. Springfield Ballet's Second Grade Performances of The Nutcracker act as the second grade component of this program. "Offering a strong arts education component benefits students in their intellectual, personal, and social development," said Darrell M. Ayers, Kennedy Center Vice President of Education. "We want to ensure that every child receives a solid, meaningful arts education from kindergarten through eighth grade."

Springfield Ballet offers four low-cost workshops, open to community boys and girls, each year to provide a well-rounded introduction to the art of ballet. Each workshop engages young participants (age 3–8) in an afternoon that includes a craft, story time, dancing and games. The workshops are great introductions to classical ballets and serve well to enrich the lives of young students, both dancers and non-dancers. 
Interested in attending a Springfield Ballet Children's Workshop? Click here.

As a part of its mission, Springfield Ballet is pleased to offer tuition scholarships for children ages seven and older who have a strong passion for and desire to study ballet. No previous dance experience is needed to apply; Springfield Ballet trains students of all ages, abilities, and backgrounds.

Interested students must complete a detailed application, exhibit talent and potential, and attend an audition class in order to be considered for tuition scholarships. Applicants should be willing to maintain a committed training schedule. Limited funds are available each semester for partial, or in some cases full, scholarships.

Currently, Springfield Ballet has 19 scholarship recipients.
Interested in applying for a Springfield Ballet scholarship? Click here.

Supported by:

• Springfield Ballet Guild