Bayside Youth Ballet 30th Anniversary

In the fall of 1992, Bayside Youth Ballet was founded by Debbie Diggs, owner of Diggs School of Dance, to provide young dancers with enhanced instruction and extra performance opportunities.  Dancers auditioned for membership as an apprentice or senior dancer and set to work on the first performance on May 1, 1993.  Over the years BYB has brought the gift of dance through lecture demonstrations and community performances.  In 1996 BYB performed its first full length ballet, “The Snow Maiden.” This ballet was performed annually for several years before the company began showcasing excerpts from classical ballets and original choreography. In 2011 BYB returned to a story ballet performing “Peter and the Wolf”.  Since that time, the company has presented The 12 Days of Christmas, Les Patineurs, Journey to the Land of the Sweets, as well as other excerpts from major classical ballets.

Bayside Youth Ballet’s community service and outreach are an integral part of the membership experience, and are reached through benefit performances and community projects. BYB has fundraised and performed for a variety of needs ranging from local families to Operation Smile.  In 2009 BYB started its first annual “Summer Dance Experience,” a free summer dance camp taught and led by BYB dancers under the supervision of the faculty of Diggs School of Dance.

BYB continues to look to the future as it continues to enhance the community through dance.  The mission of Bayside Youth Ballet is to provide superior instruction, exceptional curriculum, nurturing environments, and rigorous performance standards for aspiring young dancers. As a result, many of the dancers have pursued a career in the performing arts field and dance education.

Currently, alumni are faculty members of Diggs School of Dance as well as dancing and choreographing for companies in New York and international dance companies.  Several alumni have or are currently pursuing a degree in dance from colleges and universities.