BALLET GETS GRANT FOR KIDS.

Byline: Daily News

A $10,000 grant from the Ralph M. Parsons Foundation and a $5,000 grant from the Entertainment Industry Foundation will support the Santa Clarita Ballet Company's ``Nutcracker Ballet'' outreach program in partnership with the Newhall Elementary School District in 2002-03.

``We are very grateful that these prestigious foundations chose to award funds to our community-based ballet company,'' said Corinne Glover, executive director of the Santa Clarita Ballet Company. ``We believe strongly, as they do, that no education is complete without participation in the arts.''

The outreach programs are designed to introduce children to the classic art of ballet by providing free performances for local schoolchildren featuring the dancers of the Santa Clarita Ballet Company, as well as professional guest dancers. Before the performances, teachers receive information packets to help the students get the most out of their ballet experience, and at the performances there are an on-stage lectures and question-and-answer sessions.

``It is exciting to see how eager the boys and girls are to find out more about the production and the performers, and our dancers are inspired by the energy and enthusiasm from the young audience,'' said Artistic Director Carol Guidry.

``By featuring ballets like 'Cinderella' and the 'Nutcracker,' our productions combine interesting stories, music by great composers and imaginative staging to create a dance theater experience we hope children will remember always,'' Glover added.

The Santa Clarita Ballet Company will present its next outreach program on Dec. 4 with a special performance of the ``Nutcracker Ballet'' for an audience of local fourth-grade students.