Ozark Ballet Theater is seeking donations from the community, as well as corporate sponsorship in order to establish ourselves as an important part of the Northwest Arkansas arts and culture community.

When we moved here to Northwest Arkansas last July we were shocked to find there are no nonprofit classical ballet schools in the region. We both came up in dance schools that served as second homes in our childhoods. These schools could not have existed without the support of the community and their nonprofit status. The continuing social and economic fallout from the covid-19 pandemic makes things harder than ever for children in this region and many are forced to forgo the after-school activities that would normally keep them safe, busy, and looked after. We decided we would fill this gap and started offering programming in March – trusting that if we start doing the good work the community support will come along. We have JUST received our 501(c)(3) determination letter and now it’s time for some fundraising!

We are already reaching over 100 students, weekly with our high quality, accessible training. We have programming in process or scheduled in Rogers, Eureka Springs, Springdale, Fayetteville, and Bentonville – mostly in collaboration with a variety of like-minded nonprofit organizations. Our philosophy of breaking down socioeconomic and cultural barriers that keep underserved communities from enjoying the physical, mental, and artistic benefits of good ballet training is not just altruistic – we believe that an art can only survive and prosper if those who are making the art genuinely reflect the cultural makeup of the society they represent. The increasing costs of ballet training is having a negative effect on the quality, relevance, and diversity of professional dance companies. Putting many into an unprofitable situation which creates a sort of negative feedback loop where only those who don’t actually need to make money can afford to be “professional” dancers.

Northwest Arkansas is uniquely positioned to buck this trend – with good support for the arts and a changing cultural scene that is trying to find its identity, it is more important than ever to support arts education locally. There are many grants and organizations that are successfully importing wonderful artists to create in the spaces that already exist here but far fewer efforts to establish a homegrown NWA artistic Identity.

Our eventual goal is to run our own studio that gives students opportunities to perform professional-quality ballets at least 3 times a year - currently there are no such opportunities, at least in Benton county – providing work opportunities to our budding network of local artists and professionals who can serve as stage managers, stagehands, carpenters, costumers, lighting designers, technical directors and more. We also hope to establish enough ongoing funding to offer at least half of our students scholarships for low-cost or free tuition. With special scholarship funds for LGBTQ+ youth, housing-insecure youth and more.

Donate today and receive our eternal thanks as well as one of these great prizes!

Help Ozark Ballet theater create a safe, equitable home for ballet in Northwest Arkansas

By Ozark Ballet Theater

Help Ozark Ballet theater create a safe, equitable home for ballet in Northwest Arkansas

Let's elevate our community!