Toronto, Ontario...Karen Kain, Artistic Director of The National Ballet of Canada and Mavis Staines, Artistic Director of Canada's National Ballet School, today announced a new joint project, YOU dance, designed for children in grades four to six. This pilot project, the first joint initiative of its kind for Canada's National Ballet School and The National Ballet of Canada, YOU dance offers in-school movement workshops, innovative educational activities and interactive performances. This is a three-tiered project designed to accommodate 7,000 students in the greater Toronto area. YOU dance is free of charge.

YOU dance provides over 40 workshops across the GTA, specifically designed to stimulate creative imagination and encourage physical activity. This aspect of the program is designed and administered by Anuschka Roes, Manager of Canada's National Ballet School's Teacher Training Program and Laurel Toto, Manager of Canada's National Ballet School's Associates Program.

All participating schools will experience one of the 35 performances by YOU dance at the Betty Oliphant Theatre. Lindsay Fischer, Artistic Director of the performing company, has selected four works designed specifically for the age of the audience. Performances are an hour in length and include time for discussion and a question and answer period with the artists. YOU dance repertoire is Waltz Project by Peter Martins, Prayer by Benedikt Mac Isaac as well as excerpts from Napoli by August Bournonville and George Balanchine's Who Cares?

The eight dancers of YOU dance are from The National Ballet of Canada's RBC Apprenticeship Programme and include: James Clark, Antonella Martinelli, Ian Parsons, Alexandra MacDonald, Heather Mac Isaac, Daniel Smith, Bryant Steenstra and Sarah Wolff.

YOU dance performances and workshops run from October, 2007 through January, 2008.