Share the Joy of Dance!

You have the power to share the joy of dance! Your support makes magical things possible. Just look at what it did for Josh.

Josh is a 6-year-old kindergarten student. He is a great kid, but he struggles with some attention and behavior needs. When he is feeling antsy and needs a movement break from his classroom, he comes into the principal’s office for hugs and fist bumps.

After a visit to the ballet this fall, Josh stopped by the principal’s office to check in. She asked him how he liked the ballet and he said “It was fantastic!”

When she asked him what was fantastic about it, he said “There were dancing animals! I have never seen dancing animals before!”

Six American Midwest Ballet company dancers are dressed pink skirts and bodices adorned with feathers.

They wear tall headpieces in the shape of flamingo heads as they perform in AMB's ballet, "Party Animals".

His teacher said that he has never seen Josh sit still and pay attention for more than a few minutes at a time, but he was captivated the entire time with what was happening on stage.

Thanks to generous people like YOU, Josh and thousands of other children are swept away through the magic of their first-ever live ballet performance.

It takes $1.8 million to keep us on our toes. Over $900,000 of that comes from our amazing supporters like you. We’ve already raised about $550,000 of what it takes to continue sharing the joy of dance. Your gift makes magic possible!

Two young dancers participate in American Midwest Ballet's online dance classes from their living room.

Together we will persevere. COVID-19 has brought many challenges for us, just like it has for you. For safety, American Midwest Ballet has suspended rehearsals and classes, and rescheduled our performances. We have paid our dancers for the remainder of the planned season in order to support our artists during this difficult time.

We’ve also found new ways to continue to inspire the community, including recording a number of dance classes to share online for free. With so many families at home, we are happy to do anything we can to brighten their days and keep kids active!

At AMB, we live our commitment that dance is for everyone. This past year our special school matinee performances reached more than 7,000 area students, including free busing and admission to Title I schools. Many of these children had never experienced a live theater performance before. We also provided more than 1,300 complimentary tickets to people in need, and partner with more than 30 local social service agencies and hospital partners. Now more than ever, we’re dedicating ourselves to listening, reflecting, and working to make dance more inclusive and more responsive to everyone in our communities.

Four young dancers work on posture and positioning at a ballet barre with an American Midwest Ballet instructor.

We will continue to be here for you and can’t wait until we can once again gather together in person to share the wonder of dance!

Thank you for always being there for us! Your gift helps bring back the art that you love. Thank you for ensuring that we can return to the stage stronger than ever.

Although we are physically apart, we are just as emotionally connected as ever. You mean the world to us. Join us as we embark on a new decade of dance!

Warmest regards,

Erika Overturff, Artistic Director & CEO

Questions? Contact Sarah Maloney at sarah@amballet.org