What you’re supporting on Miami’s day of giving

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Thursday, November 21st is Miami’s biggest day of giving and we want you to get involved. Every year The Miami Foundation hosts Give Miami Day , a 24-hour fundraising event. Organizations across the city raise funds for their incredible missions that make a huge impact on our community. Throughout the day there will be prizes all organizations are eligible for and a percentage of every donation given will be matched. Here are the programming and projects you’ll be supporting if you choose the Thomas Armour Youth Ballet this Give Miami Day.

LOW-COST AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAMS 

Quality after-school programs at an extremely low cost? We know what you’re thinking…..not possible. Thanks to the support of the Children’s Trust we expanded our four sites that once just danced classes after school to a full after-school program with reading, homework assistance, dance lessons, and emotional literacy. We want to continue to build on this programming across four sites and you can support that by participating on Give Miami Day.

SCHOLARSHIPS AT THE MAIN SITE 

Scholarships are offered at the main site for dance training at the main site during the school year and for summer intensives. All scholarships are based on financial need and are given on a sliding scale. Families are able to pay what they can rather than cutting back on valuable training for their children.

THE NUTCRACKER

The Nutcracker is a huge part of who we are and Miami’s history. Our production of The Nutcracker is no ordinary production of the holiday classic. This Nutcracker is the longest-running Nutcracker production in Miami, it is the most diverse production of the Nutcracker in the city, and we do not charge families to participate in it. Students from all of our sites audition for the performance and aren’t charged a fee for rehearsals, costumes, makeup, etc. This makes participating accessible to everyone. This is what makes our Nutcracker so unique.

NEXT STEPS PROGRAM

Our after-school program is for children ages 5-11 years old. What happens once they age out of the program? We offer a scholarship at our main site to continue quality dance training.

SUMMER IN NEW YORK PROGRAM

Every year we provide room and board to students attending summer intensives in New York City. Attending summer intensives at professional companies can be very expensive for families. To make this once-in-a-lifetime experience available we cut the cost by offering this program.

MAIN SITE RENOVATIONS 

In order to provide more programming, we are renovating the space and adding THREE more studios! This project will begin in 2020 but if you would like to make a contribution toward our capital campaign it’s never too early.

We hope after reading about our current programming and future plans you feel excited to make your contribution on Give Miami Day on Thursday, November 21st.

 

Meet the Team: Employee Highlight Series

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Thomas Armour Youth Ballet’s team members are the fabric of our organization. For this reason, we have decided to highlight members of the team in our blog to learn a little more about them and what they like about working at Thomas Armour Youth Ballet.
Our first employee spotlight is Jeannette Othello. She is a site counselor at our after-school program at Morningside K-8 Academy in Little Haiti. She has been working with us since the beginning of our after-school program expansion and we are so lucky to still have her on our team. We hope you enjoy this little Q & A!
Q: Can you introduce yourself?
A: My name is Jeannette Othello I am a student counselor with Thomas Armour Youth Ballet at the Little Haiti location at Morningside K-8 academy. I’ve been with the program for five years.
Q: What’s your favorite memory at the program?
A: My favorite memory is from a student I had named Alex Ramos. He was very active and he kept me on my toes but in the end, we had a great bond.
Q: What makes the work meaningful to you?
A: The fact that I get to come here every day and having the opportunity to work with each child and putting a smile on their faces even on their bad days.
Q: Who is an employee at the program you enjoy working with?
A: I enjoy working with Judith Thomas (Site Supervisor) she’s very organized and she’s very universal when it comes to dealing with others.
Q: What are the three traits that define you as an employee?
A: I am self-disciplined and flexible.
Q: What is the best advice you’ve received?
A: Do your best in whatever you do.
Q: What motivates you in the morning?
A: My children.
To learn more about the program Jeannette works at click here. 

Thomas Armour Youth Ballet Receives National Accredidation

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We are proud to announce that Thomas Armour Youth Ballet has received accreditation, After a three-year self-evaluation process through The Accrediting Commission for Community and Precollegiate Arts Schools (ACCPAS).

WHAT IS ACCPAS?

ACCPAS was created by the Council of Arts Accreditation in 2000. Their purpose is to accredit schools providing non-degree instruction in the arts to children, youth and adults.

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE ACCREDITED?

Accreditation validates the quality of the dance instruction at TAYB and confirms the professionalism and value of all aspects of the organization. During the evaluation process all levels of management, leadership, strategic planning, community outreach, vision, and mission are reviewed.

“The process of taking a hard, detailed look at every aspect of our organization was grueling but highly rewarding,” said Executive Artistic Director Ruth Wiesen. “To be recognized nationally for the quality of our programs and dance instruction is a source of great pride for everyone in the TAYB family.”

“Accreditation provides a framework for future planning and accountability,” said board President Daniel Lewis.  “The observations of outside evaluators and their advice will be invaluable as TAYB moves forward.”

THOMAS ARMOUR YOUTH BALLET HISTORY.

Thomas Armour Youth Ballet is the oldest school of ballet in Miami, founded as The Miami Conservatory by Thomas Armour in 1949.  What started as a scholarship program at the Conservatory for a handful of students in 1987 has grown to encompass TAYB’s main site in South Miami and four neighborhood outreach centers where nearly 1,000 students study dance, are given opportunities to perform, including in the region’s longest-running production of The Nutcracker. Students in the neighborhood centers receive reading, math, music and art instruction, as well as wrap-around services, in addition, to dance every school day and throughout the summer in an all-day camp.

THOMAS ARMOUR YOUTH BALLET’S FUTURE.

TAYB will be expanding its main location and class offerings in the fall of 2020. There will be three new dance studios and a wider variety of dance forms offered.

WHAT ELSE DOES THOMAS ARMOUR YOUTH BALLET OFFER?

In addition to accreditation from ACCPAS, TAYB is licensed as an after-school care facility by the State of Florida’s Department of Children and Families. The Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs helps to fund programming in five neighborhoods. TAYB’s four after-school programs are supported by the Children’s Trust of Miami-Dade County, Miami Foundation, and other foundations and individual donors.

Spring Concert Blog Series: Aesha Ash

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2019’S SPRING CONCERT

In preparation for our Spring Concert on April 6th and 7th, we’ve chosen the graceful Aesha Ash as the next artist of the 1980s to present to spotlight.

ARTIST DESCRIPTION

Aesha Ash started dancing at the age of 5 years old in Rochester, NY because her older sister wanted to dance. Her sister moved on to cheerleading, but Aesha fell in love with jazz and tap, dreaming of performing on Broadway. As she got older, she excelled in competitions, but they caused her a lot of anxiety. When she decided to move away from competing, she found her love for ballet.

That love, however, came with the pain of both overt and implicit expressions of racism. Aesha was a black girl in the predominantly white world of ballet in a suburban area, which made her a target for ridicule. At the age of 14, she moved to New York City to dance at the School of American Ballet which led to her entry to the New York City Ballet. While dancing with them, her father and sister both died of cancer.

Aesha Ash posing for the Swan Dreams Project.

BODY OF WORK

Aesha Ash showing girls in her hometown of Rochester her pointe.

Aesha Ash showing girls in her hometown of Rochester her pointe.

Aesha attended the School of American Ballet, then was corps de ballet in the New York City Ballet. She then went on to become a soloist with the Béjart Ballet in Switzerland for two years before returning to the US, joining the Alonzo King LINES Ballet in San Francisco. She performed with Alonzo King LINES Ballet for three years until her retirement in 2008. Over the course of her dance career, she had a documentary made about her and performed as a dance double in feature films.

 

IMPACT

After her retirement from dancing, Aesha wanted to use her platform to expose young African American girls to ballet. She did so by creating the Swan Dreams Project, a photography series of Ash dancing in low-income neighborhoods and the reactions of locals. According to the Swan Dreams Project’s mission, “Through the use of imagery and my career as a ballet dancer, I want to help change the demoralized, objectified and caricatured images of African-American women by showing the world that beauty is not reserved for any particular race or socio-economic background.” In response to the adversity she faced in the ballet world as a black young woman, the Swan Dreams Project was created to challenge the stereotype of what a ballet dancer looks like.

For more information about TAYB’s Annual Spring Concert click here. 

 

 

 

 

Spring Concert Blog Series: Prince

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2019’S SPRING CONCERT

In preparation for our Spring Concert on April 6th and 7th, we’ve chosen Prince Rogers Nelson as the next artist of the 1980s to present to the spotlight.

Prince for V Magazine in 2013.

ARTIST PROFILE

Prince is known for his flamboyant style and emotional ballads. Both of his parents were musicians and he wrote his first song at seven years old. He grew up extremely poor, once saying in an interview that as a child he would stand outside of McDonald’s just to smell the food; at the time of his death in 2016, his net worth was around $200 million.

Prince released his debut album at 19 years old, on which he played all 27 instruments. His philosophy toward music was unique. He disliked working on a piece for too long and constantly wanted to move forward in his music. He claimed to record a new song every day, resulting in an impressive breadth of work.

BODY OF WORK

Prince performing Purple Rain

Prince released a total of 39 albums in his lifetime and one posthumous album. He was a musical force to be reckoned with. In addition to those released albums, there are rumored to be 50 full-length albums of unreleased music in a vault at his private residential compound, Paisely Park.

While he produced the majority of his work as a solo artist, he formed several short-lived bands throughout his career. As a skilled instrumentalist, vocalist, producer, and writer, his work extended to tens of other artists aside from his own impressive discography.

IMPACT

Many artists cite Prince as an influence. He helped shape the sound of 80’s funk through his use of synthesizers and drum machines. Over 50 hit songs by other artists credit him as a songwriter, and he wrote even more under at least four pseudonyms.

It can be argued that Prince’s style was as influential as his music; his outfits and makeup disrupted gender norms and expectations. His style was so key to his artistic persona that he employed ten live-in tailors at Paisely Park. After his death, figures from musical artists to then-president Barrack Obama expressed their admiration and sympathy for the late performer.

For more information about TAYB’s Annual Spring Concert click here. 

 

Alumnus Jasmine Ward’s Performance On The Ellen Show

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Jasmine Ward was a student at Thomas Armour Youth Ballet for a decade. Receiving training at the school and participating in annual productions of the Nutcracker. We are proud to highlight all her successes. Read more to see what she’s up to now!

TRAINING BACKGROUND

I grew up training at the Thomas Armour Youth Ballet while also attending New World School of the Arts and performing in the annual Nutcrackers. I then graduated from Butler University in Indianapolis and attended various summer intensives, including ABT New York, Joffrey Chicago, and Complexions Contemporary Ballet.

RECENT PROJECTS

Since moving to New York two years ago, I’ve danced with the New York Theatre Ballet, Brooklyn Ballet, and Ballet Next. I’ve also played Pecola Breedlove in the Arden Theatre’s Company’s production of “Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye”. I audition often and take dance, voice, and acting classes.

HOW SHE WAS SELECTED FOR FUTURE’S MUSIC VIDEO

I was recommended for the Future music video as a result of the people I’ve met while auditioning. All we knew was that the music video was for a major hip-hop artist. It wasn’t until we were on the location that it was revealed it was for Future.

EXPERIENCE ON THE ELLEN SHOW

The Ellen Show was unexpected. I received a call just one day before flying to LA, and after arriving, the other dancer and I had little time to prepare as we were going to shoot the following day. However, the performance was based on the music video, so we had an idea of what to expect and fortunately, we both kept our costumes. The day of, we had a very short rehearsal, then the cameras started rolling. It all went by very fast, but I enjoy every second of it!

Jasmine is currently working on more projects that we look forward to sharing soon!

To learn more about what our TAYB alumni are up to click here to view our Alumni Update.

 

Spring Concert Blog Series: Basquiat

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2019’S SPRING CONCERT

Thomas Armour Youth Ballet is excited to announce that this year’s Spring Concert will be themed in the period of the 1980s to the present! Our Spring Concert will be on April 6th and 7th this year. To prepare for the Spring Concert, we will be publishing a series of blog posts spotlighting different artists of the era.

Self-portrait Basquiat completed in 1983.

ARTIST PROFILE

Jean-Michel Basquiat started as a street graffiti artist in Brooklyn. His parents began taking him to art museums at a young age. As a result, Basquiat came to admire Picasso and Warhol, whose influences are evident in his work. He began selling sweaters and postcards featuring his artwork around New York. As a self-taught artist, his style is raw and emotive. His work is also fiercely political. In his works, he critiqued consumerism and systems of racism.

BODY OF WORK

Untitled (Top Left), Fishing (Top Right), and Grillo (Bottom)

Basquiat incorporated a lot of skulls in his work in a characteristic crayon-like style. He also completed several self-portraits. In his career as an artist, he produced over 1,500 drawings and around 600 paintings.

IMPACT

Basquiat rose to fame with the Neo-Expressionist wave. Much of his work surrounded the exploration of black identity. Not having the representation of royalty to draw from that white Europeans do, he included the motif of a crown in his works to emphasize the power of everyday black people.

One of the goals of his work was to bring black bodies to the visible forefront of the Western cultural canon. He succeeded in doing so, both in his works and in becoming an artistic legend himself.

For more information about TAYB’s Annual Spring Concert click here. 

Why Support Thomas Armour Youth Ballet On Give Miami Day?

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Give Miami Day is Miami’s biggest city-wide fundraising 24-hour event with over 600 participating organizations. It is an incredible opportunity to support the causes you most believe in! Here are a couple of reasons to consider supporting Thomas Armour Youth Ballet on Give Miami Day.

Scholarship Programs

Thomas Armour Youth Ballet (TAYB) believes all children regardless of their economic background should have access to the arts. For this reason, TAYB provides scholarships based on financial need rather than giving talent-based scholarships.

Free After School and Summer Programming

Free after-school and summer programming for students ages 5-11 is a huge part of the organization. TAYB’s after-school programming is a comprehensive combination of dance and academics. Participating students receive a variety of dance classes taught by professional teachers, as well as homework assistance, and reading lessons. In the summer months, in addition to dance and reading, students also receive music and art classes!

Dance In New York City Program

Every year Thomas Armour Youth Ballet sends advanced students for a once in a lifetime experience to participate in summer dance programs in New York City. Housing costs, food, and a chaperone are provided to the students for free.

Next Steps Program

After students outgrow our after-school programming we offer them the opportunity to continue their dance training at our main site in South Miami through our Next Steps Program.

Performance Opportunity: The Nutcracker Ballet

Students from all 5 sites ages 8 and up are invited to participate in TAYB’s annual production of the Nutcracker Ballet at no cost! This opportunity allows children to experience what it is like to perform for a large audience in professional costumes on a real stage! There are four performances, one performance that is open to the general public, and three school field trip performances at affordable prices to make the Nutcracker accessible to schools all over our community. Over 6,000 school children see TAYB’s production of the Nutcracker every year.

Proud To Announce Funding From The Miami Foundation & Coral Gables Community Foundation

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Thomas Armour Youth Ballet (TAYB) is proud to announce funding from The Miami Foundation and The Coral Gables Community Foundation to support the Next Steps Program and Stomp Style music classes at our West Coconut Grove site.

The Next Steps Program was created to give students that no longer attend TAYB’s after-school program the opportunity to take more advanced classes once they’ve completed the levels the after-school program offers. Students that choose to participate in the Next Steps Program are offered a partial or full scholarship. Before the Next Steps Program, students would have to solely rely on receiving dance training from their home school or magnet school if offered or they would stop dancing completely. The Next Steps Program also provides assistance in finding transportation and one on one mentoring for college-bound students, especially those who are first in the family to advance beyond high school graduation.

TAYB has wanted to offer a music component at the satellite site summer camps. This summer TAYB will bring music to the kids through Stomp Style Music lessons. Thanks to The Coral Gables Community Foundation this amazing opportunity will be funded and provided to the children free of charge. These music classes will be just one part of a summer camp that includes dance, reading, field trips, and more.

Another big thank you to The Miami Foundation and Coral Gables Community Foundation for making these programs possible! To learn more about Thomas Armour Youth Ballet’s After School program click here.

5 Facts You Didn’t Know About Going On Pointe

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Ever wonder what it’s like for ballerina’s to go on pointe? Here are five facts about getting those beautiful satin shoes and what it takes to glide across the stage in them!

#1

Pointe shoes are not like street shoes, you can’t just go in and ask for a size 7! Point shoes come in a variety of brands, widths, vamp heights, and most brands have a completely different sizing chart. Pointe shoe fittings can take up to an hour to find the perfect pair.

#2

Even though the pointe shoes are on, it doesn’t mean you can dance on them right away! A common misunderstanding is that once the pointe shoes are on, you automatically know how to dance on them because of prior training. This is completely false! Beginning pointe is like starting all over again. Students start from the beginning learning the basics just with their pointe shoes on. Classes will consist of lots of relevé and élevés at the barre.

#3

Getting pointe shoes takes a lot of preparation. Dancers going on point have to prepare their dance bags with adhesive tape to prevent blisters, nail clippers, needles, and thread to sew ribbons and elastic, rubbing alcohol, and blister pads.

#4

The shoes aren’t the only thing worn when using pointe shoes. In addition to the shoes, most students use toe pads at least when they are first learning how to maneuver the shoes. After years of practice, some dancers choose to continue to use the pads and some decide to ditch the pads altogether.

#5

Students need to have years of training prior to beginning pointe. Most students begin point around 11 or 12 years old if they began training at age 7 or 8.

Learn to dance on them if you dare!

After learning these facts are you up for the challenge of dancing on pointe? Register for classes today.

REGISTER