City of Angels Ballet

Description

Since it's inception in 1993, the City of Angels Ballet has offered hope, inspiration and opportunity, in the form of classical ballet training, to hundreds of talented children from some of the toughest neighborhoods in Los Angeles. At this not-for-profit, selective ballet academy, boys and girls, aged 8 to 18 receive formal instruction and dancewear at no cost to their families. Our dancers reflect the diverse ethnic mix that makes up this city, and most qualify for the Federal Free lunch program at their public schools. Widely recognized for the excellence of its training and the high caliber of its students’ performances, CAB is in its 17th year of providing children and teens with options that transform their lives. We've seen our dancers and their families inspired to overcome limits imposed by poverty and/or language barriers. In a formal but nurturing atmosphere, our dancers are taught to take care of their bodies, to be responsible for their dancewear, to work toward goals, and to act respectfully toward people they encounter, both in and out of the studio. Their schoolteachers tell us our dancers show an increased ability to focus, resulting in better grades. Best of all, the ripple effect from their positive experience with CAB touches their families, their schoolmates and their communities. By way of giving back, our children perform for schools, hospitals, and community events. Young CAB dancers have performed at Childrens Hospital’s 100th anniversary celebration, the annual Festival of Lights, benefiting research for children with cancer, and many other venues. CAB also offers a community outreach program, which has provided countless hours of free lecture - demonstrations to nearly 18,000 boys and girls in the most under-served areas of Los Angeles. These visit to LAUSD and other schools give additional children the chance to sign up for our programs. This year, we expect to attract 100 new dancers to our program.