Community Partnership with Neighborhood House

This summer, Ballet West expanded its reach by bringing dance education to new communities through a pilot program with Neighborhood House, a nonprofit serving Salt Lake City’s west side.

Over eight weeks, the Connecting Steps program offered 20-25 students in grades four through six to a condensed version of Ballet West’s signature I CAN DO curriculum. These students were encouraged to learn new skills, challenge themselves, and experience the joy of dance, all at no cost to participating families.

“Our initial goal was to establish a relationship with Neighborhood House and explore what we could offer together,” says Peter Christie, Ballet West’s Director of Education and Community Outreach. The partnership was facilitated by Ballet West Board Member Alan Hall and Executive Director Michael Scolamiero.

Ballet West’s Associate Director of I CAN DO, Dana Rossi, led the weekly classes with impressive results: “Their teachers and group leaders were pleasantly surprised at how much the kids got into it,” Rossi shared.