By: Armen Kavcioglu and Arabella Joaquin
We Ballet LA, a student-led organization by Santa Monica teens, is dedicated to expanding access to dance. This June, We Ballet LA will be providing a summer dance program at Vaughn Next Century Learning Center (NCLC), a school in the San Fernando Valley. We Ballet LA will be providing elementary school students opportunities to explore ballet through movement and creativity, while also encouraging self-expression.
CEO and founder of We Ballet LA, Armen Kavcioglu, was a Youth America Grand Prix Finals soloist and Music Center Spotlight semi-finalist. He founded the student-run organization to share his passion for dance with communities throughout Los Angeles, while also creating opportunities for high schoolers to give back to the arts.
Many believe that the ballet community is “dying,” but the students who volunteer for We Ballet LA fight this notion. Young dancers from Santa Monica volunteer for We Ballet LA to share their love of the art form. These volunteers work tirelessly to provide access to dance education to children who may not have the opportunities to participate in classes or training.
We Ballet LA is providing free student-led instruction in order to introduce students to the world of dance. Classes are taught by students who have placed at competitions like the Youth America Grand Prix in order to provide youth with opportunities to learn and experience different styles of dance. The summer program at Vaughn in June will offer hands-on instruction in different dance styles including ballet and K-Pop.
“I believe all dance styles are really important because they provide an emotional outlet for anything that you are feeling. I want kids to be able to discover the physical and mental benefits of dance and really just experience the joy that dance can bring us,” said Armen Kavcioglu, founder of We Ballet LA.
Opportunities like these are becoming increasingly important in preserving and sharing art styles like ballet. We Ballet LA hopes to bridge the accessibility gap through its first summer program with Vaughn. For more information about the program and opportunities to volunteer or donate, visit We Ballet LA’s Instagram or contact the organization directly!
IG: @weballetla
Email: weballetla@gmail.com