Ballet Barre For All Bodies re-imagines the dance class as a radically inclusive and supportive environment for a diverse range of movers. In the workshop, we will center the joy of dancing as we explore the traditional principles of ballet technique in a fun and affirming environment. Participants will have the opportunity to stretch, bend, balance, twirl, and soar while discovering the inner and outer strength and grace that ballet cultivates.
A variety of modifications will be offered to adapt class combinations for a wide range of abilities. Movers of all levels, backgrounds, and identities are welcome and encouraged to join. Participants should wear comfortable clothes, bare feet, socks or flat dance shoes.
DISCLAIMER: This program involves physical exertion and movement through and across space, so before beginning ensure you have adequate clear, safe space free of obstacles to move and are wearing appropriate footwear for the floor surface. If more than one person will be participating, ensure adequate space to avoid contact with other participants. It is your responsibility to use personal judgment concerning the degree of your participation in the activities, and to determine that you are in proper physical condition to participate in such activities.
This workshop is open to the community.
Our registration system has changed!
Going forward, registration for all Duke Arts Create workshops will now be processed through the Duke University Box Office. To streamline this transition, we have prepared a user guide that will walk you through the new registration process. Watch the video here.
Alyah Baker is a dance artist, scholar, and choreographer working at the intersection of art and embodied activism. For the past 19 years, she has worked as a freelance artist performing classical, contemporary, and commercial works throughout the US. In addition to choreographing and performing, Alyah has two decades of teaching experience. She holds a B.A. in Sociology and a minor in Dance from Duke University and was a member of the inaugural MFA in Dance: Embodied Interdisciplinary Praxis graduate class. In 2020-2021 she was the recipient of the Kenan Institute of Ethics Graduate Arts Fellowship in Social Choreography and Performance. Currently, Alyah lives and works in North Carolina and teaches dance at Duke University.
Duke Arts Create is a series of free, hands-on arts workshops designed to help all Duke students, including graduate and professional students (including Duke Health), as well as Duke faculty and staff develop a variety of creative skills in the visual arts, dance and movement, creative writing and more. Workshops are open to all skill levels and backgrounds. Most workshops are held in the Duke Arts Annex, the Rubenstein Arts Center or the Duke Arts Office 2101 and are typically held weeknights from 6-8 p.m.
Registration for the following week’s workshops go live on Friday mornings at 9 a.m. – sign up in advance to guarantee your spot. Didn’t get a spot? No problem! We always reserve space for walk-ins. Email DukeCreate@duke.edu if you have any questions. Sign up for the monthly newsletter here, which includes the full list of classes offered during the following month.
Duke Arts Create is sponsored by the Office of the Vice Provost for the Arts (Duke Arts).
721 Broad Street
Durham, NC 27705