The School, together with the ballet academy and graduate programme, provides the correct training required for an aspiring dancers to eventually enter a professional ballet company.
With the aim of imparting knowledge and expertise in all dance genres to the wider South African cross-cultural communities, the South African Ballet Theatre (SABT) has developed an Outreach programme to target previously disadvantaged communities that have not been exposed to ballet, as well as an affiliated ballet academy to draw together talent from all communities.
Attended by more than 400 children, Outreach projects in Mamelodi, Eersterus, Roodepoort, Alexandra and Katlehong, teach children ballet, Spanish and contemporary dance, in order to familiarise them with all dance genres, and are also taught movement, spatial and language skills.
Iris Dempsey, Executive Director of FNB Corporate, says business has a crucial role to play in supporting cultural development.
"While various other organisations place the emphasis on supporting artistic and cultural activities that have a broader public appeal which is a welcome, necessary and understandable development, this has resulted in a huge financial burden for some sectors of the performing arts," she says.
"For this reason, FNB Corporate is proud to be able to step in and fill this vacuum and in so doing, help keep this vibrant art form evolving and contributing in South Africa."
As a result of these outreach projects, some of the children have had the opportunity to be part of the company's major productions such as Carmen, The Nutcracker, Coppelia and The Sleeping Beauty.
