Enriching our community
Dance Chance Program
Programs to inspire children of every age
Lafayette Ballet Theatre (LBT) has played a significant role as a cultural and educational arts resource in Acadiana for nearly 45 years. We are dedicated to preserving ballet’s rich legacy while making it accessible to all members of the community through outreach programs. Each year, LBT reaches approximately 350 families annually through these outreach programs.
Night at the Ballet
We partner with local family-focused nonprofits to support under-resourced families through A Night at the Ballet which provides more than 250 complimentary performance tickets annually to children and their families. Our goal is to make ballet accessible to as many as possible. We believe in the power of storytelling and music to heal, inspire, and offer hope. Generous sponsors and donations make this program possible.
LBT Kids
LBT Kids is a themed creative movement workshop for children ages 4 – 9 held at LBT’s Studio (201 Petroleum Drive) or at the downtown branch of Lafayette Public Library. Children have the opportunity to listen to a story and then jump right into the story with imagination and movement. All workshops are free of charge and are 45 minutes in length. Generous sponsors and donations make this program possible.
Dance Chance
Our goal is to make ballet accessible to as many children as possible. Ballet training boosts cognitive development, improves physical strength and coordination, and fosters life skills like discipline and emotional resilience. We offer Dance Chance through a partnership with the Boys & Girls Club of Acadiana. This program provides 8-12 weeks of beginner ballet classes for third grade students. We conclude the classes with a short performance for parents in the club’s venue. Classes and dance attire are provided at no charge to the students. Generous sponsors and donations make this program possible.
Discover Dance
By partnering with Girl Scouts of Louisiana-Pines to the Gulf, we are able to offer local brownie troops a special class to earn their dance badge. Brownies learn about elements of a ballet (story, costume, pantomime, music, lighting, and movement) before learning by doing through stretching and beginner ballet steps. The class concludes with LBT dancers performing short variations for them. We love introducing ballet to the next generation of leaders.
Classroom / Theater Demonstrations
As part of Arts in Education, we currently offer classroom and theater demonstrations for local schools. Demonstrations include a backstage tour to see and touch the sets, props, costumes, and a Q&A session with principal guest artists.