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The primary goal of the Metro Parks Dance Division is education. Our teachers want to offer the highest quality training possible in a supportive environment. Many students take our classes simply to enrich their lives and discover the joy of movement, but for the students who would like to go on to dance professionally or seek a college degree in dance, we want to ensure they have the requisite skills to be successful. Additionally, we help students (adult and children) develop as educated audience members and unearth the positive effects that physical activity and creative expression can have on their overall well-being. Centennial Youth Ballet is the Dance Division’s primary performance group. Comprised of intermediate and advanced dancers ages 12-18, the young dancers offer public performances twice each year. The Mini-Nutcracker, a narrated, abbreviated version of the popular holiday ballet, is designed to introduce young children to ballet as a performance art. The Spring Concert gives members of Centennial Youth Ballet an opportunity to learn and perform a range of ballet including classical ballet variations as well as contemporary choreography to reflect the type of work being done in the professional dance world. Friends of Metro Dance is the non-profit organization established in 1995 to support the dance division beyond the scope of government funding. This group funds performances by Centennial Youth Ballet. It also sponsors special dance-related activities which include a summer dance intensive for teens and workshops for children, supports continuing education for faculty; and provides financial scholarships for students. Additionally, Friends of Metro Dance equips and maintains three state of the art dance studios. This organization has been critical to sustaining affordable dance education within the public sector.
