Mission Statement
The commitment of The Susquehanna Youth Ballet (SYB) is to excite, enrich, and entertain it's students and the surrounding communities through the art of dance.
The Susquehanna Youth Ballet of The Collective, Inc., is a pre-professional training program and performing company in residence at EMC Performing Arts Studio in New Freedom Pennsylvania. This rigorous training and performing program, directed by Lyssa Wopat, provides serious dance students with the opportunity to study classical and contemporary dance in a professional environment. The company is comprised of a dedicated group of young dancers ages 8 to 18, who audition each year and commit to an intense and comprehensive schedule of classes, rehearsals, and performances.
Providing the love of dance throughout the Northern Maryland and South Central Pennsylvania communities.
Company Expectations
our approach
Policies
DEI: The Susquehanna Youth Ballet believes that when dancers are provided with a positive and uplifting experience promoting inclusivity, they will thrive. We are committed to continuing to advance diversity and inclusion in our institution as well as the ballet community at large. We embrace everyone because ballet is for everyone.
Non-discrimination policy: The Susquehanna Youth Ballet is an equal opportunity organization and will not allow discrimination based upon age, ethnicity, ancestry, gender, national origin, disability, race, size, religion, sexual orientation, socioeconomic background, or any other status prohibited by applicable law.
Members of SYB are expected to work to their highest level. In return, the company gives dancers the opportunity to explore their full potential through various dance styles and performances such as The Nutcracker and other classical story-book ballets including Napoli, Alice in Wonderland, Coppelia, and Peter and the Wolf. SYB also learns and performs original works both in the classical ballet genre, as well as contemporary. In addition to numerous festival appearances and community performances, SYB is featured in two annual productions at The Pullo Familly Performing Arts Center in York, PA, hosted by EMC Performing Arts Studio. The company also performs in informal studio presentations. The Company is available to perform at community outreach events. For information on booking a performance, please contact the Director at info@sybcollective.org.
SYB company members are some of the area's most dedicated and skilled young dancers. While the youngest SYB members are novices inspired by the discipline of the older students, the most senior company members are highly trained pre-professionals claiming acceptance to some of the country's most prestigious dance programs and colleges, such as The Rock School, the Bolshoi Summer Intensive, Joffrey Summer Intensive, Alvin Ailey Summer Intensive, San Francisco Ballet Intensive, Point Park University, NYU Tisch School of the Arts, Marymounth Manhattan College, Baltimore School for the Arts, University of North Carolina School of the Arts, and Indiana University. The youth ballet members are also proud to have been recognized in the Top 12 at the YAGP Semi-Finals in previous years.