Ballet Arizona announced it recently received a generous grant from The Diane & Bruce Halle Foundation to support a new initiative called Project: Ignite. This initiative was a product of Ballet Arizona’s recently completed strategic plan supporting growth and expansion for the three pillars of the organization’s mission: artistic programming, The School of Ballet Arizona, and community engagement. 

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“We share our heartfelt gratitude with The Diane & Bruce Halle Foundation for this historical gift,” said Ballet Arizona executive director Jami Kozemczak. “This grant was awarded at a critical inflection point for Ballet Arizona, as the organization positions itself on a growth trajectory post-pandemic. Project: Ignite is a visionary initiative that makes strategic investments in programmatic growth and mission enhancements, while stabilizing the organization through optimized revenue generation and infrastructure development. This transformational grant will allow us to deepen our commitment to cultural outreach, dance education, and access for the benefit of all in our community.” 

Project: Ignite is a new grant initiative funded by The Diane & Bruce Halle Foundation that focuses on school optimization and expansion, employee investment, artistic product development, and community engagement. This project will lay the foundation to implement the organization’s newly-approved four-year strategic plan. The strategic plan for Ballet Arizona focuses on five major priorities: artistic vision and programming, patron expansion, financial stability, operational excellence, and school optimization. 

Ballet Arizona’s mission is to ignite the human spirit through the magic of dance. With a vision of ballet for everyone, the organization enables over 85,000 individuals annually to harness dance as a holistic connecting force and delivers:

PROFESSIONAL BALLET PRODUCTIONS (60,000+ audience members annually): Through its six annual productions presented at Symphony Hall, Orpheum Theatre, and the Desert Botanical Garden, Ballet Arizona’s talented company of 32 professional dancers perform both classical and contemporary choreography.

DANCE INSTRUCTION (265+ children and adults regularly attending classes): The School of Ballet Arizona offers open-to-the-public dance education, with a variety of classes for ages three through adulthood and all skill levels. The School’s instruction meets the expectations of professional dance companies, as well as those looking to enrich their lives through dance.

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROGRAMS (25,000+ people annually): Ballet Arizona’s Community Engagement programs remove barriers to participation, especially for those traditionally excluded or underrepresented. Some of these programs include: Adaptive Dance for Down Syndrome, Ballet Under The Stars (free outdoor community performances), Ballet Arizona’s book club, Class Act, Angel Night (free mainstage performances for communities in need), community presentations, Creative Aging, DanceAZ School Residency Program, DanceAZ Merit Scholarships, Driven to Dance, Hoop Dance for Native Youth, Dance for Parkinson’s Disease, performance chats for public audiences, and educational and behind-the-scenes programming such as Performance Hours, Student Matinees, and Studio Spotlights.

For more information about Ballet Arizona, please visit BalletAZ.org. For more information about the Halle Foundation, visit DianeandBruceHalleFoundation.com.