NOBA's Education Program

Since 1992, NOBA has offered accessible dance education to youth throughout the New Orleans community through anchor partnerships with the New Orleans Recreation Department (NORD) and Housing Authoirty of New Orleans (HUD) as well as partnerships with school systems and community organization.

NOBA continues to provide tuition-free, year-round comprehensive dance programs in Orleans, St. Bernard, and Jefferson Parishes for youth ages 6-18 and their families through sequential training and ancillary activities as well as provide employment, professional development, and artistic experiences to local artists. Community partners work with the NOBA staff to train artists, plan, sustain, grow and implement programs.

NOBA is dedicated to high artistic standards and sequential, rigorous instruction while skilled in adapting curriculum & instruction to age, ability, interest levels, and the shifting composition of classes. Its programs encourage and regard students' artistic development and the strengthening of their life skills--taking responsibility, persistence, self-discipline, and mutual respect. NOBA's programs are attentive to students' personal and physiological needs in an effort to increase student recruitment and retention.

Do you have a child who wants to dance?
NOBA offers the following programs for Orleans and St. Bernard Parish residents:

Annunciation NORD Center - Lower Garden District
800 Race St., New Orleans (between Tchoupitoulas and Magazine, in the Lower Garden District)
Sarah Jane Duax, Instructor
Registration for spring will be held January 13 from 5-7 pm at the center.

Youth Classes:
Ballet is offered Tuesday and Thursday from 4:15-6:15 pm.
Jazz is offered Tuesday from 6:15-7:15 pm.

Adult Classes:
Beginner adult ballet is offered on Thursday from 6:15-7:15 pm.

Behrman NORD Center - Algiers
2529 General Meyer, Algiers (across from the Naval Station and Delgado Community College, near the intersection of Shirley Drive and General Meyer)
Aline de Souza, Instructor
Registration for spring will be held January 13 from 5-7 pm.

Youth Classes:
Ballet is offered Tuesday and Thursday from 5-8 pm.

Senior Fitness:
Classes are held Monday and Wednesday. Registration is on-going.
Stretch Class - Dance, Yoga, Calisthenics, 9:30-10:30 am
Fitness Class - Weights, Calisthenics, Cardiovascular, 10:30-11:30am
There will be a holiday break from December 22-January 5. Classes resume January 5, 2009.

Cut-Off NORD Center - Lower Algiers
6600 Belgrade Street, Algiers (in the Cut-Off neighborhood, near the end of General Meyer on the left. Large, new building with red roof at General Meyer and Carver)
Sponsored by Chalmette Refining, L.L.C.
Meredith Early, Ballet/Modern Instructor
Danielle Purifoy, Tap Instructor
Registration for spring session is Wednesday, January 14 from 5-7 pm.

Youth Classes:
Tap is offered Monday from 5-7 pm.
Ballet is offered Wednesday from 5-7 pm.
Modern is offered Wednesday from 7-8 pm.

St. Bernard NORD Center - Gentilly
1500 Lafreniere Street, New Orleans (corner of Hamburg and Lafreniere, one block off Paris Avenue next to I-610)
Ashley English, Tap Instructor
Aline de Souza, Ballet Instructor
Registration for spring session is Wednesday, January 14, from 5-7 pm.

Youth Classes:
Ballet is offered on Monday from 4-7:30 pm.
Tap is offered on Wednesday from 5-7 pm.

Adult Beginner Classes:
Teen/Adult Tap classes are offered Wednesday from 7-8 pm.

Senior Fitness:
Classes are held on Tuesday and Thursday.
Stretch Class - Dance, Yoga, Calisthenics, 9:30-10:30 a.m.
Fitness Class - Weights, Calisthenics, Cardiovascular, 10:30-11:30 a.m.
There is a holiday break from December 22-January 4. Classes resume January 5, 2009.

St. Benilde School - Metairie
1901 Division Street, Metairie (between Napoleon and W. Metairie)
Ashley English, Ballet Instructor
Registration for spring is Thursday, January 15 from 5-7 pm at the Teen Center on St. Benilde's campus.

Youth After-School Classes:
Classes are offered on Thursdays from 4-6 pm.
Go to the center for your child's class time. There is no pre-registration.

St. Jerome Church - Kenner
2402 33rd Street, Kenner
Chara Mock, Instructor
Registration for spring is January 12 from 5-7 pm at the St. Jerome Parish Hall.

Youth After-School Classes:
Dance classes are offered on Mondays from 5-7 pm.

NORD/NOBA Center For Dance
Celebrating 15 years of excellence!
The Center For Dance, a partnership between the New Orleans Recreation Department and NOBA, offers tuition-free after-school and Saturday dance classes for youth in Orleans Parish!

Pre-Professional Program
The NORD/NOBA Center for Dance, a cultural, community partnership of the New Orleans Recreation Department and the New Orleans Ballet Association, will hold auditions on Saturday, August 23, 2008 11am-1pm for the Pre-Professional Program that will take place at Tulane University on Saturdays for the academic year. The pre-professional dance-training is for students, ages 9-18 with demonstrated talent. The program will include local and guest artists, guest speakers, performance opportunities, and technique classes in ballet and modern.

St. Bernard After-School Program
NOBA and Chalmette Refining, LLC partnered in 1995 to offer tuition-free ballet classes for St. Bernard Parish youth, ages 7-11. Ballet classes are open to boys and girls who have expressed an interest in dance. This thirty week program offers two culminating Open House performances by the students, family field trip opportunitites, and other community performance opportunities.

For more information on youth dance classes contact Suzanne Hirsch at 504-522-0996 ext. 203.

This information graciously provided by The New Orleans Ballet Association