​

Elevate Residency Programming

Originally developed by Lynn Parkerson and Oona Haaranen, Elevate uses Dr. Ann Hutchinson Guest's "Language of Dance" (LOD) system to teach children basic ballet vocabulary and achieve a physical and intellectual understanding of dance.

Elevate addresses problem solving, comparison and contrast, verbal clarification of movement, and analysis in fun yet challenging ways. As Elevate teaches patience, order, self-reliance, self-control, balance within the individual, and harmony within a group, the fundamental principles of ballet become lessons in being a good student. Our program provides a positive example of the way repeated effort can yield skill and achievement.

Each Elevate residency begins with a lecture demonstration called “What is Ballet?” performed by Brooklyn Ballet’s professional dancers. Then, public school students receive 6-8 weeks of hands-on ballet training. Some extended residencies allow students to participate in Take Ballet to the Streets performances, and gifted students discovered in our Elevate residencies are offered scholarships to continue their dance training at Brooklyn Ballet School.

Elevate is currently offered to K-12 grade students throughout New York City.

Elevate+

Building on Elevate's mission of creating access to the art form of dance, Elevate+ expands Brooklyn Ballet's community programming to serve older adults. Through partnerships such as SU-CASA and senior living communities, the program brings creative movement workshops to older adults in accessible, supportive settings. Elevate+ emphasizes both the joy and health benefits of dance, offering workshops that are warm, inclusive, and thoughtfully designed. Recent partnerships, including those with Peconic Landing Senior Living and St. Charles Jubilee Senior Center, highlight the program's impact, with feedback praising the teaching artists for being "creative and caring in finding the best ways for our members to participate fully."

For more information on how to bring Elevate to your senior center, school, or community organization, please get in touch with our Director of Community Engagement, Tristan Grannum, at [email protected].