Arts Learning
ACHF Arts Education
The quantity and types of arts learning opportunities in the state, and the organizations or venues that offer them increases. Arts learning opportunities are more accessible to Minnesota because barriers to participation have been identified and mitigated. More Minnesotans are engaged in arts learning opportunities.
By partnering with James Sewell Ballet and employing their instructors for various teaching, mentorship, and artistic advisory activities here at the Reif Center, we increased arts learning opportunities for our students by providing a chance for them to learn from an established and well-respected ballet company. This component was instrumental for many of our students as they look to the future and try to determine if a career in ballet/dance is something they wish to pursue. Furthermore, we created more dance opportunities related to this partnership than we previously offered in the form of a James Sewell Ballet summer dance intensive and a chance for our company dancers to travel to the James Sewell Ballet studios to rehearse with their company (3 total trips). James Sewell Ballet also helped choreograph pieces that were debuted here on our stage during our Reif Company Dance Show. Evaluation was completed via weekly phone conferences and occasional face-to-face meetings between Reif Center and James Sewell Ballet staff/administration. 2: Because of our rural location, our dancers generally do not have access to high quality arts/dance experiences outside of occasional master classes we offer at the Reif when travelling ballet companies, etc., are presented here as part of our performance season. Because of this limited access, we thought it was imperative to collaborate with a high-profile ballet company to increase opportunities to study/learn about dance on a professional level. We were able to achieve that goal with this partnership. Evaluation was done as part of the Reif/James Sewell Ballet collaborative team meetings via phone conferences and sit-downs. We also received high praise from dance parents, community partners, and, of course, the dancers themselves. As part of our planning in the original grant, we also sent one of our dance instructors out to teach dance/dance movement to kindergarten classes (who chose to participate) which made participation possible for those who otherwise would not have had the opportunity.
Other, local or private