Boston Ballet Announces CITYDANCE 30 Documentary

Boston Ballet announces the Citydance 30 documentary, a one-hour special highlighting Boston Ballet's 30-year commitment to dance education in Boston and partnership with Boston Public Schools.

Created in partnership with NBC10 Boston, the Citydance 30 documentary will air as a multiplatform and bilingual one-hour special starting August 20 at 7pm ET on NBC 10 Boston, August 27 at 7pm ET on NECN, and September 10 at 11am ET on Spanish-language Telemundo Nueva Inglaterra. The documentary will also be available to stream on the NBC and Telemundo Boston websites.

"Citydance is an incredibly important aspect of Boston Ballet's commitment to Education and Community Initiatives (ECI), and making dance accessible to everyone," said Artistic Director Mikko Nissinen. "Being able to introduce dance to thousands of Boston Public School students is an invaluable opportunity and experience, and I am honored this program has been part of our mission for the past three decades."

This documentary was created to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Citydance and its partnership with Boston Public Schools and highlight the impact of the program on students, graduates, faculty, and the community. Established in 1991, Citydance annually provides up to 3,000 third grade students from more than 130 Boston Public School classrooms with a tuition-free introduction to dance and ballet. Its distinct approach cultivates an appreciation of movement, enhances cultural awareness, and fosters creativity and self-expression through two distinct phases. In the first phase, Boston Ballet faculty members travel to public school classrooms and lead students in a 60-minute interactive movement workshop. Select students from Phase 1 are then invited to participate in Dance Discovery, a semester-long dance experience at Boston Ballet Studios. Citydance is a free program, and scholarships are available for students who wish to continue their training with Boston Ballet School.

"As Boston's Ballet, we believe in the transformative power of dance to inspire positive change in our community. Citydance is a prime example of Boston Ballet's longstanding commitment to inclusive arts education," said Executive Director Meredith (Max) Hodges. "We believe that art is for everyone, and it is our great honor to introduce these students to dance at a young age."

Boston Ballet chose NBC10 Boston as a partner for this documentary to increase inclusion and accessibility. NBC10 Boston has the unique ability to air the special across four networks, in two languages, and multiple platforms. Over a period of five months, the film crew followed the Citydance program and interviewed staff, faculty, alumni of the program, and students.

"Citydance has been giving Boston's children access to the performing arts for 30 years," said Trustee and Chair of the ECI Committee Tito Jackson. "We hope this documentary exemplifies for TODAY'S Boston what the real and lasting benefits of participation in our city's greatest cultural activities can mean for our children."