Publix Super Markets Charties/Publix Scholarship Program
For the past nine years this program has awarded over 250 children in the Lakeland area the opportunity to attend the training academy of FDT either on full or partial scholarships for an entire season. The awards are given to talented young students ages 6 through 17 through an open audition held at the beginnig of each season. Many of these children would never have an opportunity to dance. Florida Dance Theatre is thrilled to be able to offer this program to the community.
Summer Youth Dance Camp
During
the summers of 2001-2006, Florida Dance Theatre
has provided nearly 450 children of economically
disadvantaged and foster families a FREE Summer
Youth Dance Camp. The camp gives these children
the opportunity to participate in a variety of dance
and related arts classes including Ballet, Jazz,
Modern, Hip Hop, Pantomime, Art, & even traditional
African and Spanish dance, all taught by seasoned
professionals.
Students
attend one of four one week workshops which meet
Monday through Friday from 9am – 5pm. On Friday
evenings, a short performance is held at the Academy
studios to showcase the students’ newfound
knowledge and experience. The enthusiastic comments
from families and friends helped us realize the
importance of this program. Students not only have
fun, but also gain feelings of accomplishment, which
enhance their self-esteem.
Arts
in Education Series
In
the spring of 2004, Florida Dance Theatre began
its Arts in Education Series where the professional
company tours the Polk County area to elementary
schools with little or no arts funding. The children
are audience to a storybook ballet full of comical
characters, beautiful costumes, and timeless morals.
Following the performance, students in 3rd-5th grades
receive a basic dance movement class instructed
by one of the professional dancers.
This
series was funded anonymously through the Community
Foundation of Greater Lakeland to allow Florida
Dance Theatre to travel to only six schools. We
hope to receive more funding to make this series
an ongoing project.
Explorations
V Children’s Museum
For
several seasons, Florida Dance Theatre has provided
two dance classes per week to the 30 elementary
aged students attending the Explorations V Children’s
Museum’s “After School with the Arts”
program. Students are introduced to a variety of
dance styles, which provide them with an enriching
and unique understanding of dance and movement.
This 2004-2005 season is the first year that the
Explorations V students have participated in these
classes in a real dance oriented environment at
the studios of Florida Dance Theatre.
Family
Fundamentals “Success by Six”
For
the past three seasons, Florida Dance Theatre has
partnered with this organization at their facilities
for the Day Care and Family programs instilling
the art of dance in toddlers and young children
through class participation.
The
Foundation School
Intermittently
over the past two years, The Foundation School,
part of the Central Florida Department of Human
Services, has included Florida Dance Theatre in
an after school program for elementary aged students
with emotional problems, as well as for 6th-12th
grade at-risk students. The students received basic
movement and jazz classes to help with discipline,
physical fitness, and fun. Florida Dance Theatre
looks forward to participating in this program again
in the future.
Through donated tickets provided by Florida Dance
Theatre, many children’s organizations can
provide the opportunity to observe the art of dance
and music and the wonderful excitement of live performance.
For many of the students, this may be their first
time to attend a live show.
Giving
children the chance to observe art forms at a very
young age will help to enhance their lives and show
them the many opportunities for personal creativity,
not only in dance and music, but in design for costuming,
sets, and lighting. They will also be made aware
of the many dance programs available at Florida
Dance Theatre.
We
sincerely hope that we are able to continue with
these wonderful scholarships and outreach programs,
so that Florida Dance Theatre can continue to spread
the joy of dance to more and more children.
Nutcracker
Auditions
Each
September young dancers ages 6 & up from throughout
Polk County are invited to audition for Florida
Dance Theatre’s annual holiday classic Nutcracker
Sweets. The production is held each December with
nearly 100 children joining the cast of Florida
Dance Theatre’s professional dancers annually.
The
young dancers chosen have the unique opportunity
to work closely with the professional dancers of
Florida Dance Theatre and to see all of the hard
work, discipline, and dedication necessary for a
successful production. It is a wonderful and exciting
learning experience for them as well as a great
chance to perform. For some, this may be the only
time to perform for a live audience and to appreciate
the feeling of a job well done.
Lakeland
Housing Authority
In
the fall of 2005, Florida Dance Theatre began offering
an anonymously supported weekly class to children
from the Lakeland Housing Authority.
A
501(c)3 non-profit organization