About The Georgia Ballet
Founded in 1960 by Marietta native Iris Hensley, The Georgia Ballet is a non-profit organization committed to inspiring the public through professional ballet performance, unparalleled dance training and meaningful community outreach. We are continuously growing to meet the needs of the community while fulfilling our reputation as an outstanding arts organization.
Special Programs
The School of The Georgia Ballet offers special classes and training programs outside of the regular school class.
YAGP Training Program
The YAGP Training Program focuses on preparing select students from our pre-professional division to compete in the prestigious Youth America Grand Prix. The School Director and faculty will select a group of students who show hard work and dedication to their dance education to participate. This group of students will be coached on technique, acting, artistry, conditioning, variations, and choreography, the essential tools for a successful competing experience.
“Over 300 YAGP alumni are now dancing with 80 companies around the world, including American Ballet Theatre, New York City Ballet, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Paris Opera Ballet, The Royal Ballet, Stuttgart Ballet, Dutch National Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, and Washington Ballet, among many others.”- yagp.com
“Over the past 15 years, YAGP has awarded over $3,000,000 in scholarships to the world’s leading dance schools.” – yagp.com
L.E.A.P Program
It is our desire that this group will create awareness in the community of The Georgia Ballet and what is has to offer through the faces of the younger generation. This program will develop young professionals within the artistic field, who will be an asset to any arts organization. Public speaking is sometimes a weakness for dancers and once the confidence is built, dancers will feel empowered to speak confidently and promote an organization that is a large part of their life. This skill will carry with them through all experiences and aid in their future options.
DanceAbility
DanceAbility is a class offered twice a week for special needs students, ages 6 to 13 years old. This class is geared toward children whose physical or developmental disabilities make it difficult or impossible to participate in a regular ballet class. The goal is to give the children a traditional dance class experience while tailoring the class to allow for their comfortable participation.
The classes work on developing basic mobility skills such as motor planning, body awareness and balance, and movement with the beat of music.
