Outreach & Education

Ask any CU Ballet dancer what inspired them, and they will tell you that it was a ballet performance- the opportunity to see a physical, beautiful art unfold onstage. Our outreach is about sparking that passion for ballet in as many young people as possible, and we don't limit ourselves or our youthful imagination in creating opportunities for engaging a broad base of youth.

You'll find CU Ballet in schools, urban and rural arts programs, nursing homes, festivals, and, of course, in dance studios and stages throughout Central Illinois and especially in Champaign County.

Our most successful outreach program remains Tickets for Kids, which provides free tickets to CU Ballet performances for underprivileged kids, their families, and their teachers. The program was founded by CU Ballet's Donna Warwick and is a signature of how the company impacts childhood dreams to dance.