Look Who it Was Random video

Wide Open Dance: A Tale of Two Cities | Katie Smythe | TEDxMemphis

2,963 views · Published 17 September 2015 · 18:28 · Indexed 20 September 2026

Channel: TEDx Talks · 2015 · Nonprofits & Activism

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A ballet studio in Memphis, Tenn. isn’t just about dance, it’s about building creative human environments where youth feel safe and supported in discovering and developing their unique gifts. 

Katie Smythe is the founder, CEO and Artistic Director for New Ballet Ensemble. At the Los Angeles Music Center and through volunteerism in New York public schools, Katie cultivated a vision to align with educators and human service organizations to reach children on the margins in her hometown of Memphis, Tenn. She founded New Ballet Ensemble in 2003 to build an arts bridge across racial and economic barriers. 

Since 2008, 100 percent of NBE graduates have attended college, with five seniors earning $700,000 in college scholarships in 2015. Acclaimed by the New York Times, Wall Street Journal and Washington Post, Katie’s creative work, Nut ReMix ™, Harlem at the John F. Kennedy Center and The Swan© with Lil Buck have brought international attention to this inclusive Memphis organization. 
 
In 2014, Katie accepted the National Youth Program Award (President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities) from Michelle Obama.


This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at http://ted.com/tedx

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