THE ARTS CHANGE LIVES
featuring misty copeland
Misty Copeland, an award-winning ballet dancer and cultural icon, delivered Drake University’s Spring 2025 Martin Bucksbaum Distinguished Lecture
Growing up alongside five siblings, often sleeping on the floor of a motel, Misty took her first ballet class at the age of 13, at a Boys and Girls Club. She would go on to become the first Black woman to be named a Principal Dancer with American Ballet Theater. She has performed some of the most iconic classical ballet roles, danced alongside Prince and Taylor Swift, written ten books, and has been named Glamour’s woman of the Year as well as one of ESPN's top 25 athletes.
The arts changed Misty Copeland’s life.
The arts are changing lives in our communities.
Help us change lives.
Access to arts programming is essential for all members of our community, but especially for young people. The arts provide space not by saying, "think this," but by encouraging us simply to "think." Reflect. Pause. Learn. Through the arts, young people can achieve incredible things, by finding the confidence to dream.
Help us reach our goal of of raising $35,000
by June 1 for vital statewide arts programming.
Recent data from Americans for the Arts show that young people who have access to the arts are:
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5x less likely to drop out of high school
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2x as likely to graduate college
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78% more likely to vote than peers who didn’t have access to arts education as young people
Ballet Des Moines reaches youth across the state with opportunities to explore creativity, build confidence, and improve academic performance. Through partners like Oakridge Neighborhood Services and SEEDs, we ensure that the programs we offer are engaging, accessible, resonant, and impactful.
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Dream it.
Every Wednesday afternoon, BDM welcomes young dancers of color to the downtown campus to participate in free ballet classes with BDM professionals. These students were also invited to meet Misty Copeland and ask her questions in an intimate Q&A session before her lecture.
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Build it.
Last fall, 200+ Girl Scouts visited BDM for a Choreography & Coding workshop in partnership with Pi515, where they used movement to understand the fundamentals of coding and robotics.
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Believe it.
In December, 26 students were awarded scholarships to participate in The Nutcracker, including unlimited tickets for their families to attend performances.
