JBS studentsMove over, Fame! Joffrey Ballet School just announced a partnership with Fort Hamilton High School in Brooklyn to create a dance program within the progressive school’s Urban Arts Department. A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held last Friday, October 4, to officially get the partnership under way. (And then the students climbed on top of taxi cabs to clog the streets of New York City and danced gleefully! Just kidding.)

Joffrey Ballet School is currently celebrating its 60th anniversary, dedicating this year to remaining a leader in American dance education—and making this collaboration with Fort Hamilton High School so fitting. Fifty students auditioned for the program and 23 were accepted for the 2013–2014 school year. The Fort Hamilton students will get an hour-and-a-half dance class each day, as well as the opportunity to audition for JBS’ annual Nutcracker production.

Fort Hamilton assistant principal Tom Oberle will oversee the program, which will be directed by Jo Matos, director of JBS’ Children and Young Dancer Programs. Matos hand-selected Joffrey’s Sabrina Jafaar-Melton as teaching artist for the program, and Jafaar-Melton has since spent the past year earning her certification and license to teach dance as part of Fort Hamilton’s faculty.

Photo courtesy of Joffrey Ballet School