MoBBallet: Empowering Blacks in Ballet | Art Loft

Memoirs of Blacks in Ballet, or MoBBallet, seeks to preserve, present, and promote the contributions of Blacks in Ballet internationally. A symposium hosted in Miami brings together legends of the dance world, students, early career dancers, acclaimed mentors, scholars, and educators to forge the future of Black ballet. Learn how a combination of high caliber dance education and mentorship are helping to empower the next generation.

HOST WALNUT HILL MAKES US AT HOME

The 2026 Symposium on the Hill continues our partnership with Walnut Hill School for the Arts, and takes place on the beautiful Walnut Hill campus in Natick, MA, just outside of Boston. MoBBallet (Memoirs of Blacks in Ballet) will have access to their state-of-the-art facilities, which includes 3 large studios, blackbox theaters, a gym, generous grounds, and we are now able to offer both a daily meal plan as well as dormitory lodging.

Come Board With Us….

Walnut Hill has opened their dormitory and dining facilities to the MoBBallet Symposium. Participants can choose from double or quad rooms, in Bishop Hall. Each room is furnished with a desk and desk chair, a bookshelf, a bureau and a bed for each occupant. All dorms have common spaces for gathering. The dining hall will provide 3 meals a day for all participants.

MoBBallet Symposium on the Hill Ballet Intensive

12+, Ageless Intermediate, for Pre-pro and professional dancers

Ballet Intensive for Intermediate and Advanced Dancers

Our intermediate and advanced ballet intensive centers Blackness both in our students and faculty. Participants will not only have the opportunity to learn from our elite and diverse faculty, but also to truly connect with them as they learn about (Black) ballet history, discuss body image and aesthetics, and discuss training and higher education. Our Advanced track is designed to support dancers on the cusp of entering the professional realm by pairing them with a personal mentor who will provide individualized coaching, feedback, and mentorship, both in and outside of the studio.

1:1 Mentoring

Originally designed as a preparatory program for advanced students on the cusp of beginning their professional careers in addition to those in second companies, apprentices or in their first year of corps de ballet, MoBBallet Symposium 1:1 mentoring makes our program unique. All advanced dancers are intentionally paired with a personal mentor and coach for the week. Mentors are assigned based on their goals, aspirations, strengths and weaknesses shared on their applications.

Ageless Intermediate Dancers

Our levels are determined by skill not age, and since we know that some dancers come to dance, and specifically ballet later we don’t think age should be a barrier, therefore there is no cut age cut off for our intermediate level. We have found that by creating an environment that sees value and potential in all participants, and honors the process, and respects the desire to learn allows for a broader wider range of dance students to share in the experience and contribute whether through movement or by sharing their perspectives in our personal development sessions. Additionally it creates a beautiful environment of support and caring within the cohort Our intermediate dancers receive group mentorship to support where they are in their dance training.

Intermediate dancers receive group mentoring along with personal development classes

Dance Faculty and Mentors TBA:

Ballet Course Classes:

Technique
Pointe
Allegro
Variations
Corps de Ballet
Contemporary
Corps de ballet
Repertory (advanced)
Body maintenance/Nutrition

Studio Culture:

At MoBBallet Symposium not only are focused on providing high caliber training we are equally concerned about how we do that. MoBBallet Symposium is curated as a learning space for all: participants, faculty, mentors and staff. We are all committed to creating the dance culture we want to see. Hence there is great attention to the language we use in speaking or evaluating the body, the way we offer critique and feedback, the aspect of mentoring encourages students to use their voices, while allowing faculty to get us to hear them. We are actively investigating the boundaries of flattening the hierarchy of communication which allows for dancers to express and contribute, while maintaining respect for expertise and authority for the front of the room. Conversely faculty and leaders are investigating how to work collaboratively, make space for those voices, receive suggestions and feedback while managing the room. All of this learning garnered during our time together will be carried back to each person’s dance home, effectively pollinating our field with these concepts and ways of being.

Mentoring:

Originally designed as a preparatory program for advanced students on the cusp of beginning their professional careers in addition to those in second companies, apprentices or in their first year of corps de ballet. Each advanced dancer is paired with a personal mentor for the week who will provide individualized coaching, feedback, and mentorship, both in and outside of the studio.

Our levels are determined by skill not age, therefore there is no cut age cut off for our intermediate level. We have found that by creating an environment that sees value and potential in all participants, and honors the process, and respects the desire to learn allows for a broader wider range of dance students to share in the experience and contribute whether through movement or by sharing their perspectives in our personal development sessions. Additionally it creates a beautiful environment of support and caring within the cohort Our intermediate dancers receive group mentorship to support where they are in their dance training.

Centering Humanity

MoBBallet sees every dancer as a leader of tomorrow, hence we see the highest potential in each participant in all areas: dance, intellect, teamsmanship, leadership and pour into them. All participants engage in the MoBBallet Personal Development Curriculum encourages them to examine ballet and their position encouraging agency by prompting them to think critically about dance and beyond. Deep dive group conversations help develop a sense of voice, and agency while promoting critical thinking.

Personal Development Programming:

Icon Talks
Dance history
Body image workshop
Nutrition and cooking class
Screenings of films
Pointe shoe workshop
Ballet and Higher Education
Exercising your Agency …and more

Repertory

Advanced dancers have an opportunity to be in a creative process with out Pathways to Performance choreographic Fellows, and learn the A,B,Cs of best studio practices in our Corps de Ballet class.

Intermediate students have a repertory workshops lead by our faculty, in addition to our Introduction to Corps de Ballet class.

STEP 1 Apply through our application (Links to Video necessary)

STEP 2 – Submit your non refundable $150 REGISTRATION FEE *This fee will be applied to the balance of your tuition.

STEP 3– Upon receipt of your submission & registration fee your application will be reviewed.

STEP 4 You will be notified of your acceptance into the program via email. Which will contain a link to remit the balance of your tuition and boarding (if applicable) fees.

REGISTRATION FEE: $150 (applied to tuition)

EARLY REGISTRATION FEES (1/15/26-5/15/26 Must be paid in full to apply)

TUITION for COMMUTERS: (includes 3 meals daily): $1250.00

TUITION w/ROOM & BOARD: $1650.00

GROUP RATES FOR THE BALLET INTENSIVE

REGISTRATION FEE: $150.00 For each student (applied to tuition)

GROUP of 4+ w/ROOM & BOARD: $1250.00 per participant

COMMUTER GROUP of 4+ (includes 3 meals daily): $950.00 per participant

TUITION FEES Balance Paid After 5/15/26::

TUITION for COMMUTERS: (includes 3 meals daily): $1450.00

TUITION w/ROOM & BOARD: $1850.00

GROUP RATES FOR THE BALLET INTENSIVE

REGISTRATION FEE: $150.00 For each student (applied to tuition)

GROUP of 4+ w/ROOM & BOARD: $1450.00 per participant

COMMUTER GROUP of 4+ (includes 3 meals daily): $1050.00 per participant

Loading…

Pathways To Performance Choreographic Program

In keeping with MoBBallet’s 360˚ approach to transforming the field of ballet, the Pathways to Performance Choreographic Program (PTP) cultivates and mentors Black choreographers (and those of color) who specifically work in the ballet idiom. Additionally, PTP supports Black contemporary choreographers (and those of color) who are interested in exploring the ballet idiom, while also assisting established but overlooked creators in breaking through the glass ceilings that have hindered their advancement in the dance world. PTP provides them with concrete opportunities to create and present their work on prominent stages.

The lack of Black ballet choreographers mirrors the lack of Black professional ballet dancers. This shortage is reflected in other roles within the field, such as rehearsal directors, choreographers, artistic directors, and production directors/backstage crew. Consequently, it is reasonable to expect that as the ballet world begins to embrace and commission Black choreographers, they may primarily seek talent from the “low hanging fruit” of the modern and contemporary genres, resulting in an overexploited pool. This leads to the oversight of exceptional talents working in all genres due to the insular culture of the dance world.

MoBBallet’s Pathways to Performance aims to break through this exclusive bubble by nurturing Black ballet choreographic talent and elevating established but under-recognized artists. It supports them in advancing their careers by showcasing their work on high-profile platforms.

Our mission is to ensure that the ballet field does not pigeonhole Black choreographers into subcategories like “modern” and “contemporary.” Therefore, PTP is specifically designed to nurture and develop choreographers whose primary language is ballet and who create work en pointe.

*PATHWAYS TO PERFORMANCE CURRICULUM

Choreographic Analysis

Building Structure

Studio Management

Development of Movement Vocabulary

Negotiation of Contracts

Building a Team of Collaborators

Building a Network

Music: collaboration and licensing

Dramaturgy

*designed by Theresa Ruth Howard

Pathways to Perfromanace 2024 Debut Season

Our debut performances featured commissioned and new works by five Black ballet choreographers. This dynamic group of makers illustrates the diversity within our ranks as they range from established, emerging,

Jennifer Archibald, Donald Byrd, Kyion Ross along with two Pathways 2022 fellows Portia Adams and Meredith Raineyand evolving makers.

COHORT LEARNING &
MENTORING

PTP creates a collaborative cohort of Black identified makers who together will learn and work with and on one another to investigate the process of choreography. Donald Byrd will as at mentor to the cohort along side facilitator Christian von Howard

CHOREOGRAPHIC OPPORTUNITIES

In addition to PTP fellows having the opportunity to work on our advanced students during the week. PTP has resulted in concrete choreographic commissions for participants.

In July 2024 Pathways to Performance made its performance debut at the Kennedy Center (July 2-3) and Jacob’s Pillow (July 10-11) which will feature two of our first class PTP fellows

PATHWAYS TO PERFORMANCE CHOREOGRAPHIC PROGRAM

STEP 1 Apply through our application (Links to Video necessary)

STEP 2 – Submit your non refundable $150 REGISTRATION FEE *This fee will be applied to the balance of your tuition.

STEP 3– Upon receipt of your submission & registration fee your application will be reviewed.

STEP 4 You will be notified of your acceptance into the program via email. Which will contain a link to remit the balance of your tuition and boarding (if applicable) fees.

REGISTRATION FEE: $150 (applied to tuition)

EARLY REGISTRATION FEES (1/15/26-5/15/26 Must be paid in full to apply)

COMMUTER PROGRAM FEE (INCLUDES 3 MEALS daily): $1200.00

PROGRAM FEE With ROOM & BOARD: $1650.00

REGISTRATION FEE: $150.00 will be applied to tuition

TUITION FEES Balance Paid After 5/15/26:

COMMUTER PROGRAM FEE (INCLUDES 3 MEALS daily): $1400.00