Students and seniors have the opportunity to discover the beauty and passion of dance through Festival Ballet Providence’s Discover Dance programs. This program enables school groups and senior citizens from retirement and nursing communities to experience ballet in a majestic theater in Providence for a minimal fee of only $7.50.

Our dazzling production of The Nutcracker has been, for many Rhode Islanders, their first exposure to live performance, and is one of their most memorable experiences. Other featured productions have included The Firebird, Sleeping Beauty, Romeo & Juliet and Esmeralda. These productions of our regular offerings are designed to cultivate an appreciation and understanding of dance.

Each program is introduced by Festival Ballet Providence Artistic Director, Mihailo “Misha” Djuric, who describes dance and opens the minds of the audience to take in what they will be seeing. After the performance, audience members may ask questions of the dancers and Mr. Djuric.

“As Artistic Director of Festival Ballet Providence," says Misha, "I am very proud to offer these exciting performances. As a child in Eastern Europe, I was always mesmerized by the dance performances I saw. I hope you will bring a group to Discover Dance to be inspired as I was so long ago.”

Festival Ballet Providence will offer three Discover Dance programs for the 30th Season. All programs will enrich the education of students as well as inspire audiences of all ages.

Cinderella
Allow your students to explore this favorite tale of romance as a thoroughly engaging dance production.  Your students can first read the story in school and then see the words leap off the pages of the book and onto the VMA stage! Choreographer Viktor Plotnikov has created this world premiere production, with numerous twists and great staging and choreography to inspire a great discussion of the many ways a story can be told.  Entertaining for all ages.

At the VMA Arts & Cultural Center
October 19 at 10:00am

• Cinderella Study Guide
• History of Dance

The Nutcracker
Elementary school students will be enchanted by the magic of The Nutcracker. Clara and her Nutcracker Prince take the audience on a magical journey from the battle against the Mouse Queen, through a blizzard of dancing snowflakes and with a finale in the Kingdom of Sweets that will make your taste buds water and your feet want to dance their way out of the theater!

Providence Performing Arts Center
December 14 & 17 at 10:00am


Swan Lake
Students will be captivated by this magical and amazing story unfolds, with all the brilliant dancing and staging this icon of classical ballet deserves.  The battle of good and evil, represented by the Black Swan and White Swan was never so magnificently portrayed in both dance and music.  

VMA Arts & Cultural Center
April 25 at 10:00am lease contact Mark Fleisher or Karla Kovatch for more information on the Discover Dance program at outeach@festivalballet.com.