Students train at the Midtown Memphis studio and through Pathways Program residencies, which are delivered through partnerships with public schools across the city. As a Level 3 partner with the District, NBES works closely with Dunbar Elementary, LaRose Elementary, Sherwood Middle, and Overton High to develop a foundation of arts skills that prepares students for advanced training. NBES immerses students in a conservatory ballet curriculum integrated with multicultural art forms ranging from Memphis Jookin to global dance genres. Students readily identify with the diverse faculty of teaching artists, most of whom are NBES program graduates. Performing together, professionals and students present three major productions annually. During FY19 (the last full year prior to the COVID-19 pandemic), NBES trained 775 students at the Midtown Memphis studio and through Pathways Program residencies in the District. Of these students, 67 were trained on full or partial scholarship and 486 students participated in free after school programs. This past year, NBES reached almost 13,000 students with virtual performances, artist interactions and classes, funded by grantors including the National Endowment for the Arts, TN Arts Commission, Women’s Foundation for a Greater Memphis, International Paper, the City of Memphis, and the Hearst Foundations. NBES was a recipient of the National Arts and Humanities Youth Program Award, granted to the country’s best creative youth development programs by First Lady Michelle Obama. NBES was acknowledged for leading the field in enrichment and mentoring activities, designed to drive self-direction, academic achievement, high school graduation, and college success through a whole child approach to student and family engagement.
