Staten Island Ballet

Serving Others Through Free Performances and Free Training

The Staten Island Ballet’s operating principle is that an arts organization is truly worthwhile only to the extent that it charitably shares its gifts of talent to the greater community.  In our effort to serve the broadest possible audience, SIB upholds elements fundamental to our mission in several ways.

Original works are created for the New York International Choregraphers Festival each year, such as "14 Legs" by David Fernandez in 2008

New York International Choreographers Festival™

  • Free performances are an integral part of our company's season. The largest of the free events is the annual New York International Choreographers Festival™,  a fully staged production that presents choreographers' new works, which are performed by the artists of the Staten Island Ballet.  The Festival introduces new works by up to five guest choreographers, including artists from Africa, South America, Europe and Asia.

Since the Festival began in 2001, a total 27 new works in the ballet vocabulary have originated at the Festival, which draws as many as 700 audience members to the Center for the Arts.  The project encourages established and emerging choreographers to develop their visions without the cost of rehearsal space or dancers.  Choreographers are selected in a review of submissions.

SIB provides a stipend of up to $500, free rehearsal space at its studios, as well as its troupe of professional dancers to perform.  Live music is often featured, including original compositions for dance, such as an original score by jazz-guitar recording artist and composer Ben Sher.

  • In efforts to uplift people in need, the SIB distributes tickets free to homeless families, disadvantaged schools and community groups. Each year, the SIB donates up to 20 percent of all tickets to paid performances at its home venue, the 430-seat Williamson Theatre at the Center for the Arts. 

Free Training

  • Dancing Over Walls™ provides free, unlimited dance training to children from economically challenged areas.  Dancing Over Walls involves family members in generating support in the home for a child’s attempts at personal achievement.

C.A.S.T.™

  • Children and Seniors Together is an inter-generational program for helping both young and old.  The program, now in its fifth year, showcases young students to perform ballet, singing, and musicianship each month for nursing home audiences.  Students mingle and talk with patients, and distribute personalized hand-made gifts and cards to them.  As many as 800 seniors are served; youths develop greater understanding through exposure to the issues of aging.

The Gift of Theater

Free tickets and subsidized tickets to the season’s four paid-admissions shows, or about 20 percent of the total, are distributed as a community service to approximately 900 individuals a year. About 450 free tickets for the holiday “Nutcracker” show are given to disadvantaged schools, shut-ins, homeless families, and the developmentally disabled. At a summer production, the Family Series, free tickets are given to children with a subsidized $10 ticket provided to adults.  At other shows, up to 100 free tickets go to needy cases.

All tickets are distributed to worthy causes through SIB’s community service network.  Among  not-for-profit groups receiving ticket grants are:

  • Project Hospitality
  • American Cancer Society of Staten Island
  • Staten Island AIDS Taskforce
  • Geller House,  Staten Island Council on Aging
  • St. Francis School for the Deaf
  • Elam Christian Assembly,  Community Resources
  • A Very Special Place (developmentally challenged) Deborah Hospital
  • SI Multiple Sclerosis Society
  • The Seamen’s Society for Children and Families (rehab patients and their children)
  • Sephardic Nursing Home
  • Clove Lakes Nursing Home
  • St. Elizabeth's Nursing Home
  • Anna Erika Home

Supporting Non-for-Profits

  • SIB strives to serve other not-for-profit organizations dedicated to the arts, education, environment, health and social issues.  The dance company has created original works and performed free for fund-raising events for:
  • Snug Harbor Cultural Center
  • Staten Island Botanical Garden
  • The Juvenile Diabetes Foundation
  • Sea View Rehabilitation Center and Hospital.
  • SIB also provides technical assistance to help other emerging dance groups such as DanzAisa, a contemporary dance company on Staten Island.  SIB has also provided board development and marketing assistance to the to Sea View Historic Foundation, which serves the landmark Sea View Historic District..

Economic Development for the Arts

  • Vital to building community cultural programs, the SIB has generated more than $7 million directly to the arts economy in Staten Island and the City of New York by providing employment to the field and through purchases of related goods and services.