Grant for CBA

Executive Summary

Champaign Ballet Academy is a local ballet studio located in Champaign, IL. It was established in 1998 by Deanna Doty, and it provides the surrounding area with an immersion into the area of arts and dance. Students come from the surrounding towns of Champaign, Urbana, Savoy, Mahomet, and Tolono. Classes are taught to ages 3-adult, and many outreach programs are implemented throughout the year. Outreach programs are also a big part of the studio’s repertoire, and these have included going to hospitals, performing at elementary schools, and raising ticket money for kids to come see the annual The Nutcracker performance.

Since the summer of 2014, Champaign Ballet Academy has offered a two week long Student Production. In this programs, the older students at Champaign Ballet Academy will mentor the younger ones, aged 8-12. These older students will be the production staff, taking the roles of director, producer, costume Designer, and choreographers to make their own production, either original work, or based off of an already well-known ballet. These works are adapted for the younger dancers to learn and rehearse. In the past, shows of Peter and the Wolf and Carnival of the Animals were produced by the Student Production staff. Sets, costumes, and choreography were all made by the production staff. By the end of the two weeks, the dancers will perform a finished show for an audience, mainly composed of their families.

In the past, these productions have been rehearsed and performed in the Champaign Ballet Academy studios. However, this year the shows will take the stage at the Parkland College Second Stage Theatre which will bring a more professional aspect to this, and expose to the dancers to the backstage experience of a performance.

Needs Assessment

The grant money from the Illinois Arts Council will be used towards funding the summer Student Production. Student Production will run from June 13, 2016 to June 25, 2016, with a preparatory week prior to the run dates for the production staff. The production staff needs funding to provide materials for the dancers and also for employment of the director, producer and costume designer. These positions will be filled by high school students that dance at Champaign Ballet Academy. Selection for these spots will be chosen through a written essay and judgement of the particular student’s willingness to participate in past outreach programs.

The job of the director is to oversee the entire production staff. The director organizes the entire program, including choosing the ballet to be choreographed. All of the program staff will report to the director and work together.

The job of the producer is to manage all the financial aspects of the Student Production. This includes buying the materials for sets and costumes.

The job of costume designer is to design and make all of the costumes that will be used for the production. The costume designer will be aided by assistants, and the younger dances also help with making their own costumes.

**This is all I have right now, but I need to add more to the Needs Assessment (like explaining the jobs and what the moneys going to be used for, etc.)