Tulsa Schools and the Tulsa Ballet Center join forces to help local students

A new Tulsa Public Schools program is giving new meaning to the phrase learning in leaps and bounds. <br/><br/>A pilot program at Wright Elementary is introducing fourth-grade girls to the world of classical

Tuesday, May 11th 2004, 10:03 am

By: News On 6

A new Tulsa Public Schools program is giving new meaning to the phrase learning in leaps and bounds.

A pilot program at Wright Elementary is introducing fourth-grade girls to the world of classical ballet. News on 6 anchor Terry Hood says last year, Wright Elementary got a new neighbor. The Tulsa Ballet Center for Dance Education moved in just a block away at 45th and Peoria. Now, some Wright students are taking advantage of the school's expertise.

Many of the girls have never set foot in a dance studio before, but now they're learning about ballet from the professionals. The young ladies come to the dance school two times a week to learn basic ballet steps. But this is not recess; these girls are learning the discipline that goes into the dance.

Not only is ballet physically demanding, but they're also exercising their brains, memorizing the routines. The dance school started the program with grants from the Vincent Mulford Foundation and the Tulsa Community Foundation.

Instructor Carol Roderick says the neighborhood partnership has worked out well for the students and the school. "So we've been able to provide practice uniforms for the kids and our faculty and staff to work with them so itâ€™s been a perfect fit and they just walk across the parking lot."

Several Wright Elementary students said the same thing about ballet class, it's hard.