In the halls outside of New York City Ballet’s studios, the sounds of dancers turning and jumping in time with live piano music can be heard any given week. On some weekends, these are joined by the tiny tapping of little feet and the laughter and applause of ballet’s up-and-coming audience members (and performers): the children and families who attend public programs offered through NYCB’s Education Department in the studios and theater where the Company performs.
“I definitely encourage all of my family members who don’t know the ballet well and who have young children to come to Family Saturdays, because it’s such a nice gateway into the ballet,” says corps de ballet member Kristen Segin, who over the years has participated in many of these lively, interactive presentations that enhance the experience of watching a performance.
Each onstage Family Saturday program, led by Family Saturdays Creative Director (and Principal Dancer) Megan Fairchild, includes a varied selection of short excerpts from the Company’s repertory, performed by NYCB dancers who are joined by members of the NYCB Orchestra. For one dance-filled hour, kids get a pint-sized taste of what a full performance entails, with the added benefits of personal expression and energy-burning play from their seats in the auditorium—and a spoonful of education, too. “The audience is encouraged to participate in a lot of the dancing—pick your arms up here, put your arms down here, look this way, look that way,” explains Soloist Brittany Pollack. “It’s fun as a dancer to look out and see the whole audience dancing with you.”
Both Pollack and Segin have been working with the Education Department for years, sharing what they know and love about the art form. Most of their experience has been in the studio, leading the Children’s Workshops for 5- to 7-year-olds, corralling and coaching the youngest aspiring dancers, and In Motion Workshops for 8- to 12-year-olds, where there’s room for a little more freedom. “I started as a helper when I was a student at the School of American Ballet,” shares Segin. “After I got into the Company, I would step in if they ever needed help because I was familiar with the format. When [Associate Director of Public Programs] Sloane Bratter asked me to take over as the leader, I was very excited—but it was also daunting, because the people who crafted the workshops were so spectacular.” Each workshop begins with a spirited warm-up before the leader introduces a movement combination inspired by choreography performed on the NYCB stage. The 45-minute interactive experience concludes with a performance for the caregivers and family members seated in the front of the studio, watching their blossoming balletomanes.
“I’ve always loved working with and teaching kids, so I jumped at the opportunity,” says Pollack, whose young daughters at home enrich her enjoyment of teaching these workshops. “When I walk into the room, I have in the back of my mind the time and energy it took for the families to sign up and show up—it’s so special. I remember being in dance class when I was a kid, and then going home and practicing the choreography and putting on a show. I always imagine the participants remembering what we did together in the workshop and bringing that home with them.”
Part of what makes these workshops unique is the inspiring access to the teachers, who, as current or former NYCB dancers, have the firsthand experience of being onstage to pass onto their little learners. Plus each class takes place in the same rehearsal studios the dancers regularly use, with the same live piano accompaniment—a rare treat for children’s movement classes. “I’ve had to take a scientific approach to the repertory when breaking it down for younger dancers,” explains Segin. “Finding little nuances of choreography that I can teach them, that they can do in a modified version, has been a lot of fun.”
“It forces us, as the teachers, to really dig into these ballets and learn more about them,” adds Pollack. The rewards for the instructors are as manifold as those for the families that join in—some returning week after week, year after year, growing a little bit taller each season. “I always love when we say, ‘You can go back to your family now’ at the end of class, especially with the little ones. You can tell they feel really accomplished and proud of themselves. It’s a sweet moment that I always remember—a reminder of why we do what we do.”
“Teaching for the Education Department means passing on the beauty of this institution, the repertory that we do, and George Balanchine’s legacy to the next generation of dancers and audience members,” says Segin, who recalls declaring while a student at SAB that she wanted to lead these workshops when she “grew up,” and hopes to continue doing so for the foreseeable future. “For me, it’s sharing what I love with other people.” The very nature of a ballet performance separates dancers from audience members, both in physical distance and the more figurative distance of the years of training and education a professional performer receives. With the help of a number of devoted dancers and educators, the Company offers opportunities each season for families to bridge these gaps, affirming that ballet can truly be, after all, for everyone.
For more information on NYCB’s Public Programs, visit nycballet.com/public-programs.
