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New Ballet Ensemble & School Apprenticeship Program Registered with State of Tennessee
“Signing Day” event to take place at Cooper-Young Studio on September 10th
New Ballet Ensemble & School is excited to announce that its commitment to workforce
development for young Memphis artists is entering its next phase. As of August 2026, New
Ballet is the first arts organization to have an apprenticeship program registered with the State
of Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development. On September 10th at 10
a.m., young artists in the apprenticeship program will participate in a “Signing Day” to celebrate
the start of their artistic year. Local media outlets are invited to join us to commemorate this
milestone.
Since 2009, New Ballet has managed its Teaching and Performing Artist Apprenticeship
program, where young artists are compensated to train, perform, and teach. Notable alumnus
Charles “Lil Buck” Riley was one of the organization’s earliest apprentices and was the first New
Ballet artist to teach in its Pathways program (weekly in-school dance classes) at Dunbar
Elementary in Orange Mound. Apprentices come from a variety of dance backgrounds and take
class every day to improve their skills while also teaching children in schools across Memphis
and in the New Ballet studio. The apprenticeship program was born of necessity, as many
young dancers faced the harsh choice between pursuing their artistic passion or finding a
seemingly more conventional job.
“New Ballet has always been about providing access, and that applies not just to training for
young people,” said Executive Director Matthew Best. “A dancer shouldn’t have to come from a
privileged background to pursue a career as a performing artist. This acknowledgment by the
State of Tennessee will only strengthen our ability to more fully develop young artists and train
the next generation of arts educators.”
New Ballet apprentices receive ongoing professional development and often earn dance-related
credentials from institutions like American Ballet Theatre (NYC), Dance Education Laboratory
(NYC), and Luna Dance and Creativity (Berkeley, CA). Investment in these young artists not
only enhances training for youth but also sets apprentices up for successful careers as arts
educators. “Our teaching artists have always been skilled,” said New Ballet’s Dance Education Director
Traci Kubie. “Now they will be recognized statewide for the work they have been doing.”
About New Ballet Ensemble & School
New Ballet Ensemble & School is a creative youth development organization that brings
children and youth together by providing a professional standard of dance training, regardless of
the ability to pay. In addition to a diverse studio dance training program, New Ballet also
operates its Pathways program, providing tuition-free, in-school and after-school dance
instruction at inner-city schools throughout Memphis. With a commitment to whole child
development, New Ballet also hosts a mentoring program, provides academic support, and
facilitates college and career coaching for high school students. The Professional
Apprenticeship program is an outgrowth of the school, offering job opportunities and
professional development to Memphis dancers. New Ballet was recognized with the 2014
National Arts and Humanities Youth Program Award, the nation’s highest honor for out-of-school
arts and humanities programs. Learn more at newballet.org.
Posted by Claudia Towell at September 2, 2026