Aside from both relating to ballet, dance lessons and pointe shoes share another commonality: they’re expensive.
That’s where student-run nonprofit Dance Developpe comes in, committed to their mission of breaking down the financial barrier and bringing the magic of ballet to underserved kids.
“It’s a financially straining interest to pursue, like the shoes and the clothes we wear,” said Co-Founder Claire Yu. “Even just being able to watch ballet is expensive.”
When Yu, a rising junior at Los Altos High School, saw the lack of affordable ballet opportunities for children around her, she knew she had to do something. She wanted to create a space where she could share her love for ballet, provide performance opportunities and transform passion into purpose. So, in 2022, she founded Dance Developpe to provide children with a free ballet education.
“When I performed for the first time, I was starstruck by the classical music, the makeup, the costumes, lighting and the magnificent stage backdrops, which solidified my love and appreciation for ballet,” Yu said. “I wanted to create this first spark for other children as well.”
Mountain View High School rising senior Katie Luong, who leads fundraising for the organization, said that Dance Developpe not only offers kids free ballet lessons and performance viewings, but also a chance to perform in full-length productions.
Students have had the opportunity to perform in classic ballet shows such as The Nutcracker, Coppelia and Sleeping Beauty, Luong said. Students also performed at the San Mateo County History Music in a celebration of the Day of the Dead last November.
“Many children don’t have the opportunity to perform in a real theater and in front of a real audience,” Yu said. “I think it’s a confidence boost. It helps them really be comfortable in front of large audiences in the future.”
Currently, the organization consists of eight Bay Area-based student instructors experienced in ballet who hold classes weekly for both younger and older age groups, Luong said. Classes are held at Casa Circulo Cultural, a nonprofit organization in Redwood City.
There are around 15 students in each class and three instructors that rotate through the different levels, said secretary and Los Altos High sophomore Olivia Kwok. The majority of their students are children who frequent Casa Circulo Cultural and are part of the organization’s network.
“Most of the families we serve right now, they contact us through Casa Circulo Cultural,” Yu said. “We have very close relations with the founder of the organization.”
The classes that the organization offers are based upon the fundamental techniques and steps of ballet — a prerequisite for a formal ballet education, Yu said. Beginning with simple stretching and flexibility exercises, the classes go on to include a mix of barre exercises, center work and some steps across the floor, like skipping and jetes, based on the level of the class, Luong said.
Students are able to gain performance opportunities in real theaters through Developpe’s partnership with the Ramon Moreno School of Ballet, Yu said. The school puts on two shows annually, one in the spring and one in the winter. Head Artistic Director Ramon Moreno provides Developpe instructors with advice and choreography to teach their students months prior to the show.
After spending months learning the choreography, the five best students are chosen and given an opportunity to further refine their skills and perform in the spring show, Yu said.
“When they’re on stage, you see them smile so big and have so much fun,” Kwok said. “They are working so hard to be able to perform the choreography. I think that’s super rewarding.”
In the future, Yu said she hopes to expand Dance Developpe to other communities in California and beyond.
“I believe all forms of art are important because they can inspire people, improve overall health and encourage appreciation,” Yu said. “What would our world be without art? It would be so boring and monotonous. We need art.”
