In 2016, board member Kelli Sherman made a fateful phone call to Bridgeway House executive director, Patricia Wigney. Bridgeway House supports children with Autism and other related abilities, and #instaballet had a hunch that these students would thrive when #creatingtogether via our signature, interactive model. Bridgeway House enthusiastically agreed to give it a try.
What transpired exceeded expectations. The students at Bridgeway House jumped in without hesitation. They were open, infectiously enthusiastic, and very creative. Ideas came in all different forms, with many students joining the dance. The professional dancers took joy in translating student ideas into movement, dancing with them as they formed lasting and meaningful connections.
It was clear that this was an important partnership. That this, and more collaborations like it,
needed to happen again.
Over the years, #instaballet has continued to visit Bridgeway House, #creatingtogether again and again. Other partnerships have formed with schools and organizations like Jasper Mountain Center (JMC), which supports children who have experienced trauma/abuse, and Circle of Friends School, a non-profit that supports children with complex disabilities. In 2020, #instaballet helped the students at JMC contribute choreography to Suzanne Haag's newly adapted ballet, based on JMC instructor and local author, Greg Ahlijian's, book, The Large Rock and the Little Yew. JMC students were able to see their ideas performed by the Eugene Ballet on stage at the Hult Center for the Performing Arts.
Each of these opportunities to bring ballet out of the theatre and into these educational settings is magical. They are always unique and a true reflection of the experiences of the students who create them. They help empower students to find agency through movement. They build and strengthen community. And, they advance equitable access to dance while contributing to a repertoire of work created by and for diverse communities.
#instaballet dancers working with the students of Circle of Friends School
Today, #instaballet holds between 10-20 on-site, educational workshops each year. We have established partnerships with Bridgeway House, Jasper Mountain Center, and Circle of Friends School. We've hosted workshops in partnership with the city at local libraries, and we are an Artist in Residence through Lane Arts Council's program to bring teaching artists into Lane County public schools. Through these and other community programs, we are creating equitable and inclusive pathways to accessing dance.
If you'd like to partner with #instaballet, or have ideas for educational partners, please reach out to #instaballet executive director, Miranda Atkinson, at miranda@instaballet.org.
