For 35 years, Oregon Ballet Theatre and Albina Head Start have shared a simple but powerful belief: every child deserves access to the arts.
As OBT celebrates its 35th anniversary season, we’re also honoring a milestone that has been woven into our history since the very beginning—the 35-year partnership between Oregon Ballet Theatre and Albina Head Start.
Through creative movement classes, studio field trips, and complimentary tickets to George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker, generations of preschool students have experienced the joy of dance through this longstanding collaboration. Together, OBT and Albina Head Start have worked to make movement, creativity, and artistic expression accessible to children and families throughout our community.
A Partnership Rooted in Opportunity
The partnership began in OBT’s earliest years through the vision of former OBT Principal Dancer and founding OBT School Director Joe Wyatt. After dancing with the Dance Theatre of Harlem, Wyatt was inspired to create opportunities for children of color to experience dance and movement.
“I always wanted to find a way to continue the legacy of Dance Theatre of Harlem and develop opportunities for dancers of color,” Wyatt recalls. Working with community leader Ron Herndon and the Albina Ministerial Alliance, Wyatt helped launch a program that brought OBT teaching artists directly into Albina Head Start classrooms.
What began with a modest investment and a handful of classes has grown into one of OBT’s longest-running and most impactful community partnerships.
Bringing Ballet Beyond the Stage
Over the years, hundreds of children have participated in movement classes led by OBT teaching artists, explored OBT’s studios during special field trips, and witnessed the magic of live ballet performances.
Former OBT Education Director Kasandra Gruener, who helped shape the program for nearly three decades, reflects on its significance:
“As Oregon Ballet Theatre looks back on 35 years of offering multifaceted ballet experiences to our broad community both onstage and off, there is one partnership that I hold especially dear to my heart. That partnership is with Albina Head Start.”
For Albina Head Start, the collaboration represents more than arts education—it provides children with opportunities to imagine new possibilities for themselves.
“OBT is a wonderful partnership for Albina,” says Ann Obuhoro, a 34-year employee and Site Coordinator at Albina Head Start. “The program has inspired so many children, families, and staff members over the years. Albina is fortunate to continue our partnership with OBT.”
The Lasting Impact of Movement
The most meaningful measure of the program’s success can be found in the voices of the children themselves.
After a visit to OBT’s studios, one young student reflected on her experience:
“I am a dancer, I saw dancers, and I can be a dancer.”
For OBT’s education team, moments like these capture the heart of the partnership.
“It is hard to describe the awe and impact this program has on the children and their families,” Gruener says. “The welcoming nature of it helps blur the notion that ballet is only for an elite group. It shows what can happen when someone focuses, perseveres, and believes in themselves.”
Looking Ahead
This partnership exists because of the dedication of countless teaching artists, administrators, educators, support staff, and community leaders who believe in the power of movement to transform lives.
As we celebrate 35 years together, we’re grateful for the generations of children, families, and educators who have made this partnership so meaningful. We look forward to continuing this work for years to come—creating opportunities for young people to move, create, imagine, and discover what is possible.
About Albina Head Start
Albina Head Start serves nearly 900 low-income and underserved children from birth through age five at more than 20 locations throughout the Portland area. Since 1965, the organization has provided comprehensive child development, education, health, nutrition, and family support services to children and families across the region.
Support Arts Education in Our Community
OBT’s education and community engagement programs help connect thousands of young people with the transformative power of dance each year. Learn more about how you can support our community programs.
