Ballet Santa Barbara is currently in residence at Roosevelt School

Ballet Santa Barbara's teaching residencies emphasize creative and critical thinking and learning through action. Creative exploration and self-expression are our tools for teaching about the art of dance. Our curriculum complies with the national standards for dance.

Through our weekly lessons students explore many new ideas. A sample from our first grade curriculum includes:

• Warming up the body, personal space, general space, pathways and directions, and moving easily through different levels.
• Working as a group, controlling their bodies, self-awareness, taking direction and other safety concerns.
• Actions like rising, lowering, exploding (volcanoes), curving (like waves), rolling, flowing (lava), winding (rivers), and many more.
• Shapes—Curved, round and closed, versus straight (angles), extended and open. Wide and narrow.

Each lesson is led by two teachers, including a principal teacher and an assistant. Residencies may culminate in a performance.

If you are interested in observing a class or for more information about residencies, call BSB Artistic Director Carrie Diamond directly at (805) 450-7535.

Our residencies have been funded in part by the Roosevelt Elementary Education Foundation (REEF) and grants from the Santa Barbara County Arts Commission and the Santa Barbara Foundation through their Katherine Harvey Fellows program.