DANCE POWER

ARB’s flagship residency program, DANCE POWER, is the longest continuously running community and arts partnership in the state. All 3rd grade students in the New Brunswick Public School District have DANCE POWER incorporated into their physical education class for 20 weeks. At the end of the residency, 45 scholarships are presented to students so they can continue dancing at Princeton Ballet School from 4th grade through their senior year of high school on full tuition scholarship.

Over 50,000 public school students in the New Brunswick area have reaped the rewards of dance education through this acclaimed program since its inception in 1986.

Created by Dr. Penelope Lattimer in collaboration with American Repertory Ballet and the New Brunswick Public School District, the DANCE POWER curriculum was originally written by a committee of dance educators and New Brunswick school administrators and remains a working document that is updated regularly to meet and exceed the New Jersey Student Learning Standards for the Visual and Performing Arts.

As a finale to their DANCE POWER experience, students are invited to showcase their new skills in front of friends and family in a culminating performance. The final performance, Waiting in the Wings, is highly-anticipated and serves as a powerful visual reminder of the program’s impact on the local community.

Other programs have been created as supplements to and adaptations of DANCE POWER. These initiatives include DANCE POWER summer camp, Hip Hop Revolution (making connections between ballet technique and other dance forms, such as hip hop), and DANCE POWER Limitless (designed specifically for students with disabilities).

In 2021, DANCE POWER received the Distinction in Dance Award from the Dance Studies Association. This international association cited the program’s impressive reach, quality, and impact on the field of dance studies.

DANCE POWER Scholars Program

DANCE POWER students with a true passion for dance are given the opportunity to attend ARB’s Princeton Ballet School on full scholarship. Each year, ARB awards over 45 new scholarships to students from the New Brunswick Public School District who demonstrate both interest and ability through the in-school residency program.

Referred to as DANCE POWER Scholars, these students may continue their dance training on full tuition scholarships from 4th grade through their high school graduation. Scholars also have the opportunity to perform with Princeton Ballet School, in community outreach events, and in professional productions with American Repertory Ballet.  

Gregory Hines served as the honorary national chair for DANCE POWER. Before his untimely passing, Hines created an endowment at Rutgers University to earmark annual funds for a DANCE POWER student to attend the University.