Education & Outreach

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 by 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, especially in Champaign County.

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