Founded in 2001, New Ballet Ensemble and School is a Community School of the Arts with a small professional teaching and performing ensemble and professional apprenticeship program. New Ballet serves youth from diverse backgrounds by providing access to excellence in training, including with a rotating list of accomplished master teachers. Known for innovation in dance performances, New Ballet’s school has produced groundbreaking creators and dancers with vision to bring new innovations to the world of dance. Performances include the popular, NutRemix, Springloaded and SummerDance and multiple in school educational presentations including, Three Shoes and Bare Feet, Anansi and the Sky God and Josè (based on the book, “José Born to Dance”). Our Pathways program, in partnership with six local public schools, provides weekly free classes after school and during school hours in the most at need communities in Memphis. Collaborative partnerships with human service organizations in the areas of immigration, poverty alleviation and youth development are at the heart of our work as we seek to build community among those new to Memphis and those who traditionally have had no access to high quality dance instruction. The bridges that we build among communities and individuals remain a principle focus of the organization’s leadership.