Every fall, something magical happens inside the studios of Kansas City Ballet School (KCBS). The floors echo with determined steps, the air hums with music, and hundreds of Academy students return with one goal: to become the dancers they dream of being.
And in many ways, that magic begins with you, our supporters who believe in their potential and in the future of this art form.
This season, the dreams extend beyond the dancers. The School itself is setting ambitious goals:
- elevating every student’s experience,
- attracting the most promising young dancers,
- and, most significantly, ensuring that no talented artist is ever turned away because of financial need.
Oliver Till joined Kansas City Ballet School as Director in 2024. Photo by Brett Pruitt & East Market Studios.
“Scholarships change everything,” says School Director Oliver Till, now in his second year leading KCBS after accomplished tenures at The Joffrey Ballet and the Swedish National Ballet School. “They allow us to welcome students whose talent and dedication are undeniable, even when financial means are not. That is how we compete nationally for the very best, and how we open doors for the next generation of professional dancers.”
New Leadership, Shared Vision
To achieve this vision, KCBS is strengthening its leadership by welcoming new experts who believe deeply in both the art of ballet and the importance of access.
Jennifer Welch Cudnik, the new Principal of the Daytime Program, first danced in Todd Bolender’s Nutcracker as a young girl and later trained on full scholarship at the School of American Ballet before performing with Pennsylvania Ballet and Saint Louis Ballet.
“When I was nine, performing with Todd Bolender and Una Kai, I knew I was in the presence of something great,” Jennifer recalls. “That experience, and later the scholarships that made my training possible, changed my life. Dance has always felt like a mix of meditation and flight to me. It grounds you, yet it also lets you soar.”
This year, she is eager to connect with the students and families she will guide: “I want them to feel that same spark – that dance is more than technique; it is a community and a calling.”
Sherry Urton, the School’s new Operations Manager, also knows the power of opportunity. A Wichita native who trained and performed with the Metropolitan Ballet of Wichita, she brings over a decade in finance and arts administration together with a lifelong love for ballet.
“Dance gave me a way to express myself when I was shy,” she says. “Now, my role is to make sure our systems support both the art and the people – students, families, faculty. This year, I am excited to launch a Parent Association that will strengthen those connections even further.”
They join a respected team of familiar leaders: Kimberly Cowen, Principal and Kansas City Youth Ballet (KCYB) Director, who danced with Kansas City Ballet for 20 years and joined the School staff in 2002, and Taryn Ouellette, Principal of the South Campus at Meadowbrook, a longtime ballet educator with a master’s degree in ballet pedagogy from NYU, and ABT-certified teacher who also trained at KCBS.
The Real Impact of Scholarships
Scholarships are more than financial aid. They are the key to building a stronger School and a stronger Company.
“Without scholarships, it would be very difficult to compete nationally for the students who have the best chance of achieving their professional goals,” says Oliver. “It’s how we attract top talent for our Academy and Summer Intensives, and how we ensure that opportunity is based on potential, not on means.”
For Cowen, that opportunity was life-changing: “A scholarship made it possible for me to move from St. Louis to train here at 16. It set the course for my career and my life.” Welch Cudnik adds: “Dance is expensive with all the training, pointe shoes, costumes, and more. Scholarships level the playing field so that art is not only for those who can afford it. Not all good artists come from means.”
Taryn Ouellette reflects:
“Scholarships are meaningful for any student. Knowing a school values your potential enough to support your training adds to the privilege of pursuing this art form and growing as an artist. For me, it was uplifting and inspiring. It meant I was seen and supported, and it gave me increased confidence to keep pursuing my dreams.”
Your Role in the Dream
Kansas City Ballet School is already recognized nationally for its exceptional programs and faculty. With your help, it can also be a beacon of access: a place where talent and dedication, not family income, determine a dancer’s future.
This fall, as hundreds of young dancers return to our studios, will you help us keep the doors open wider than ever? Your gift of any amount provides critical scholarships that bring the best and brightest to Kansas City Ballet School and support them on their journey toward the stage.
Support scholarships today and help us dream bigger for our students, and for the art form we all love.
For more information, please contact Kristin Castle, Chief Philanthropy Officer, at 816.216.5585 or kcastle@kcballet.org.
Header image: Sherry Urton, Kim Cowen, Taryn Ouellette, and Jennifer Welch Cudnik. Photo by Beeh Moynagh.
