Around this time of year, people of all ages attend the classic Christmas show The Nutcracker, which Toledo Ballet is performing for its 85th year. For the littlest members of the audience who will gaze up in awe, Toledo Ballet regularly offers two different opportunities for them to try out ballet for themselves: 6-week-long Preschool Enrichment classes and semester-long Pre-Primary classes.
Mariah Neil, one of the dancers in The Nutcracker, is the instructor for both the Preschool Enrichment classes and some of the Pre-Primary classes. She explained that the Preschool Enrichment classes offer a good first taste of ballet for little ones, as children can start attending them as young as two and a half. The children also do not have to wear the normal ballet dress code, and are able to attend the class in normal, comfortable clothing.
Each six-week session focuses around a particular theme, with the upcoming January session being a “Frozen” theme. Neil said they incorporate a lot of props to keep the kids engaged, such as parachutes or fake snow. During the hour-long session, the children learn ballet fundamentals, have storytime and participate in a craft. At the end of each six-week session, parents get to join the class to watch a dance that the children have been working on.
“It is nice that it is just six weeks, so it is not a big commitment,” said Neil. “If the kids really like it, they can enroll in the Primary or Pre-Primary class.”
The Pre-Primary classes are designed for three and four-year-olds to learn the fundamentals of ballet and become comfortable with movement. These classes are weekly, 45 minutes each, and operate on a fall and spring semester schedule (although parents can enroll children at any time). In the spring semester, there is a recital or showcase for the Pre-Primary and Primary classes.
All of these classes follow the American Ballet Theatre National Training Curriculum, which Neil has been certified in.
“I am not just teaching ballet steps to these kids, I am teaching them to love and appreciate the art of dance, but also music as well,” said Neil. “…That is really inspiring to me, investing in the younger generation of dancers.”
The next Preschool Enrichment class runs Fridays from 11am-12pm, beginning on January 16. Tuition for that class is $95. The Spring Semester of the Pre-Primary classes begins in early January, with two options: Tuesdays from 5:30-6:15pm with instructor Audrey Ziemke, or Saturdays from 9-9:45am with Mariah Neil. Tuition for those classes is $60 per month. All of these classes take place at Toledo Ballet’s new location that is adjacent to the Stranahan Theater (4747 Heatherdowns Blvd). More information can be found at liveartstoledo.com.
