Out There - The Australian Ballet in schools will visit Holy Family School next Tuesday, August 14.

More than just ballerinas in tutus, this innovative program is delivered by a specially trained Dance Education Ensemble of two male and two female dance educators.

Hannah Beer, Christopher Ead, Alexander McKinnon and Abigail Oliveiro lead students through a series of fun and interactive workshops designed to foster movement skills, promote fitness, and encourage artistic expression.

David McAllister, artistic director of The Australian Ballet, said it was important to give children the opportunity to experience dance.

“Our vision for Out There is to give students who may not have danced before the chance to sample its many benefits, from increased awareness of their bodies, to general fitness and providing an outlet for creative expression,” David said.

“The Australian Ballet is strongly committed to offering Australians access to artistic educational experiences, with a strong focus on reaching out to young people and inspiring them to reach their full potential.”

International research shows that children who take part in the arts perform better academically and have overall more positive outcomes than those who go without arts experiences.

Turning a classroom into a dance studio is a great way to help students learn.

Out There is the result of a three-year pilot study.

The program has been designed by The Australian Ballet’s Education Program Director, Helen Cameron.

It began in 2006 and has given more than 40,000 children around Australia the opportunity to experience dance; more than half of those were from regional areas.

In 2012 Out There will visit more than 80 primary schools and reach over 8000 children in metropolitan and regional areas across New South Wales, the Northern Territory, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria, and for the first time ever, Western Australia. Out There – The Australian Ballet in schools is also supported by The Ian Potter Foundation.