DISCOVER DANCE EDUCATIONAL PERFORMANCE SERIES

Celebrating 30 Years of Discover Dance!

To expand access to ballet for everyone, Ballet RI fills The Veterans Memorial Auditorium with K-12 public and private school students from across Southern New England for our Discover Dance Performance Series. This opportunity offers tickets at extreme discounts for select groups. This year we are offering two Discover Dance performances of the timeless classical ballet, The Nutcracker, on December 18th and 19th. 

40% of the schools attending are Title I schools in under-resourced communities with over half the student population receiving federally subsidized lunches. This may be the first exposure for students to a world-class professional ballet company performing live and in a formal theater space. 

Discover Dance performances are full-length ballets with the same breathtaking costumes and scenery that season ticket holders experience. Options to attend are sorted into 3 categories for ease of access.  

Select the option that suits you below for more information and instructions on how to register! 

K-12 PUBLIC & PRIVATE SCHOOLS

Cost & Registration
  • Sales open September 15, 2025 – December 3, 2025 
  • NEW THIS YEAR: All orders must be placed through our online ordering system, regardless of the form of payment.  There will be an option for those who need to pay via check (see below). 
  • A $50 deposit holds your reservation, with the option to Pay in Full by Thursday, December 4, 2025, or you can Pay in Full at the time of your reservation. 
  • All accounts must be Paid in Full by Thursday, December 4, 2025 
  • K-12 Students $10 tickets; Minimum of 10 students per Discover Dance order. Children under 5 cannot attend Discover Dance performances, but they can attend the public shows with a ticket. 
  • To Pay by Check:
    • Please contact Nicole Laliberté Douglas at [email protected] to receive a code to enter on the online order form BEFORE you try to place your order. 

REGISTRATION OPENS MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 15TH, 2025

Chaperones
  • 1 Free Chaperone for every 20 students 
  • Paid Chaperones $10 tickets  
  • Maximum ratio of 1 Chaperone (paid and free) per 10 students 
Accessibility

Please ensure that you have informed us of any wheelchairs and walkers/ambulators in your group. 

The VETS is dedicated to ensuring the comfort of all their patrons. For more information on The VETS accessibility accommodations, click here.

 

Arrival & Dismissal
  • Please allow extra time for your buses to arrive at the theatre, and your group to enter, be seated, and use the restroom, before 9:50am. Late arrivals will only be seated at the discretion of the VETS staff and Ballet Rhode Island’s Community Engagement Manager. 
  • Please note that the performance run time is approximately 2 hours. It is not acceptable for groups to leave prior to the end of the performance. Groups will be called by bus number to exit in an orderly fashion. Please allow extra time for this process. Please do not make a reservation if you cannot stay through the duration. 
In School Discover Dance Nutcracker Workshop
  • For schools that receive in-school workshops, Discover Dance is a comprehensive experience that begins before the students arrive at the theater. School groups receive a visit from our Community Engagement Manager and Company Dancers – the same dancers they will see on stage! We provide interactive workshops and cooperative learning experiences and share insight about the ballet the children will see, what it means to be a dancer, the history of ballet, and share information about audience participation and etiquette. 
  • We believe passionately that an education rich with dance is a transformative force in the development of a child, instilling kinesthetic intelligence, creative thinking skills and self-expression. We look forward to seeing your students this year! 
  • If you are interested in a pre-performance workshop for only $100, you can indicate this during the check out process and our Community Engagement Manager, Nicole Laliberté Douglas, will contact you via email to schedule it. Please note that the $100 workshops are only available to public and private K-12 school groups that have reserved tickets to attend the Discover Dance Nutcracker performances on December 18th or 19th, 2025. 

SENIOR AND DISABLED GROUPS

Cost & Registration
  • Sales open September 15, 2025 – December 3, 2025 
  • NEW THIS YEAR: All orders must be placed through our online ordering system, regardless of the form of payment.  There will be an option for those who need to pay via check (see below). 
  • A $50 deposit holds your reservation, with the option to Pay in Full by Thursday, December 4, 2025 or you can Pay in Full at the time of your reservation. 
  • All accounts must be Paid in Full by Thursday, December 4, 2025 
  • Group Members $10 tickets; Minimum of 10 group members per Discover Dance order
  • To Pay by Check:
    • Please contact Nicole Laliberté Douglas at [email protected] to receive a code to enter on the online order form BEFORE you try to place your order. 

REGISTRATION OPENS MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 15TH, 2025

Chaperones
  • 1 Free Chaperone for every 20 group members 
  • Paid Chaperones $10 tickets 
Accessibility

Please ensure that you have provided the number of wheelchairs and walkers/ambulators in your group. 

The VETS is dedicated to ensuring the comfort of all their patrons. For more information on The VETS accessibility accommodations, click here.

 

Arrival & Dismissal
  • Please allow extra time for your buses to arrive at the theatre, and your group to enter, be seated, and use the restroom, before 9:50am. Late arrivals will only be seated at the discretion of the VETS staff and Ballet Rhode Island’s Community Engagement Manager. 
  • Please note that the performance run time is approximately 2 hours. It is not acceptable for groups to leave prior to the end of the performance. Groups will be called by bus number to exit in an orderly fashion. Please allow extra time for this process. Please do not make a reservation if you cannot stay through the duration. 

K-12 HOMESCHOOL

The Nutcracker Homeschool Group Rates 
  • NEW THIS YEAR! The VETS is opening Ballet RI’s public performances of The Nutcracker to Home School Groups at fantastic group discount rates. Choose your own seats and show dates! This is the only way to ensure your group has a guaranteed reservation for The Nutcracker.
  • Please follow the link below to see discount rates for schools, show times, and contact information for Paul Hiatt at The VETS to complete your reservation. 

Nutcracker Home School Group Sales   

 

Discover Dance for Home School
  • Pending seating availability, Discover Dance sales for Home School Groups will open November 15, 2025 – December 3, 2025. Availability is not guaranteed. 
  • All orders must be placed through our online ordering system, regardless of the form of payment.  There will be an option for those who need to pay via check (see below). 
  • A $50 deposit holds your reservation, with the option to Pay in Full by Thursday, December 4, 2025, or you can Pay in Full at the time of your reservation. 
  • All accounts must be Paid in Full by Thursday, December 4, 2025 
  • Home school students, ages 5-18, $10 tickets; Minimum of 10 students per Discover Dance order. Children under 5 cannot attend Discover Dance performances, but they can attend the public shows with a ticket.
  • To Pay by Check:
    • Please contact Nicole Laliberté Douglas at [email protected] to receive a code to enter on the online order form BEFORE you try to place your order. 

REGISTRATION OPENS SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 15TH, 2025

Chaperones
  • Paid Chaperones $25 tickets 
Accessibility

The VETS is dedicated to ensuring the comfort of all their patrons. For more information on The VETS accessibility accommodations, click here.

Arrival & Dismissal
  • Please allow extra time to arrive at the theatre, and your group to enter, be seated, and use the restroom before showtime. Late arrivals will only be seated at the discretion of the VETS staff.
  • Please note that the performance run time is approximately 2 hours. It is not acceptable for groups to leave prior to the end of the performance. Please do not make a reservation if you cannot stay through the duration. 

The Nutcracker Workshops for PRE-K STUDENTS

About

Pre-K school groups are encouraged to book a Nutcracker workshop, bringing Ballet RI’s dancers to you! We believe passionately that an education rich with dance is a transformative force in the development of a child, instilling kinesthetic intelligence, creative thinking skills, and self-expression. We look forward to seeing your students this year! 

School groups receive a visit from our Community Engagement Manager and Company Dancers. We provide interactive workshops, cooperative learning experiences, and share insight about The Nutcracker, what it means to be a dancer, the history of ballet, and audience etiquette. We will read the story of The Nutcracker. Ballet RI dancers will present an excerpt of the choreography from the ballet. Students will have the opportunity to dance with us, and we will conclude the hour with a craft activity for the students. 

Cost & Registration

Email [email protected] to request a Nutcracker workshop for your Pre-K students for $500 (please note that Ballet RI will work with qualifying partners to reduce this pricing as needed). Our Community Engagement Manager, Nicole Laliberté Douglas, will respond via email to schedule our visit to your school.   

Questions? Please contact our Community Engagement Manager, Nicole Laliberte Douglas at 401-490-5631 or [email protected].

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