Diablo Ballet’s PEEK Program (Performing Arts Education & Enrichment for Kids), is the only arts education program of its kind offered by a professional dance company in Contra Costa County. The Program provides both in-school dance education curriculum and free dance performances to students and families in under-served areas who have substantially fewer opportunities to see or participate in the performing arts. PEEK has been applauded by parents, teachers, school administrators, and community leaders for the unique way it delivers high quality arts education to the children in our region who need it most.

The PEEK Program has reached over 65,000 in the past decade and has three components:

Dance-in-the-Schools Assembly Program
Dance-in-the-Schools presents interactive ballet programs to five schools in Contra Costa County each season by visiting public school classes between September and May. The presentation enables the students to participate in a collaborative process by creating their own short ballet. The Program consists of a one-hour lecture/demonstration presented with a piano accompaniment during which the history of ballet is presented and basics in movement and choreography are demonstrated.

Adopt-a-Class Classroom Curriculum
By bringing professional dancers into public school classrooms once a month for 45-minute sessions for an entire school year, the Adopt-a-Class program teaches physical activity, coordination, cooperative play, dance technique, and creative expression.  Children learn about the athleticism, history and terminology of dance while they experience movement and choreography. Dance is presented as a healthy activity that builds bodily fitness, strength, endurance and coordination and contributes significantly to the development of spatial reasoning skills, mathematical ability and social skills. Over the course of the year, children learn to use movement as a safe and enjoyable expression of creativity and physical energy. The Adopt-a-Class program culminates with an end-of-year performance where the students perform a piece that they have rehearsed. This performance gives the children the opportunity to showcase what they have learned and demonstrate the confidence and poise they have developed.

Theatre Encounter
The Theatre Encounter provides 750 qualifying children the opportunity to experience a free live dance performance at the Lesher Center for the Arts annually for a one-hour lecture/demonstration. The Program, performed with stage lighting and piano accompaniment, offers young people a true theatre experience, which in turn prepares them to become the audience of the future. It also provides children with the chance to interact with professional dancers, learn what it takes to put on a performance, and experience first-hand the magic of live dance.

To inquire about the PEEK Program curriculum or performance opportunities for your school, please e-mail diablo@diabloballet.org.

Jekyns Pelaez and David Fonnegra with an Adopt-a-Class Student

Artistic Director Lauren Jonas and Diablo Ballet Board Member Jack Catton receive a special Commendation from Congressman John Garamendi's Field Representative Brian Hooker .

Jekyns Pelaez with Diablo Ballet's Adopt-a-Class from Las Juntas Elementary School in Martinez.