Mission

BAX’s overarching mission is to support artists-in-progress. Our Education program encompasses five core values that inform class curriculum, faculty teaching practices and professional development, special events, and festivals.

Activities

BAX’s overarching mission is to support artists-in-progress. Our Teen Programs encompass five core values — skill-building, creative choice, collaboration, performance, and community — and include educational classes and workshops, professional development, and performance event opportunities.

BAX Teen Artists Learners and Leaders (TALL) Council
The brand-new TALL Council is a youth-led leadership community of engaged, ambitious and motivated teen artists eager to deepen their engagement with the performing arts. Whether it’s creating and sharing solo work, socializing and networking with other teen artists, discussing professional performances, or organizing their own open-mic night, the group, with the support and guidance of BAX’s Education Department, is empowered to design their own experience as Teen Artists Learners and Leaders. TALL Council Members are middle school to recent college graduate age; they may be current BAX students, BAX alumni, or familiar with BAX events and festivals. The Chair of the 2015 TALL Council is Nasrene Haj, BAX Alumni and Director/Founder of The Creators Collective.

Education/Workshops
BAX offers classes in dance, theater, and tumbling with an emphasis on cultivating creative expression. Our teen classes include Performance Workshop classes, Guest Artist Series classes, and Master Classes as well as professional artist-exchanges through our new Teaching Artist in Residence program (TAIR). BAX’s Youth Repertory Company, BAXco, is an audition-based, pre-professional, dance-company for teen dancers. BAXco members are exposed to many styles of modern dance through guest choreographers, workshops, and performances. They enjoy a multi-dimensional experience of the NYC dance scene, including performing on professional stages.

Performance Events/Festivals
Our free youth festivals provide an opportunity for teen artists from a vast array of cultures and backgrounds to find a common bond through the performing arts. BAX’s annual YouthWorks Festival and The Teen Arts Conference are structured to treat teen artists with the respect given to professionals. They include opportunities to develop one’s own work, be mentored by, and learn from, professional choreographers, playwrights, directors, lighting designers and production staff, and be exposed to the marketing and press aspects of producing a group or original performance in the BAX Theater.