Cork City Ballet embraces a policy of engaging dancers from international companies as well as Ireland's finest classical and contemporary dancers, to perform to audiences all over Ireland. CCB promotes and encourages the ethos that ballet no longer needs to be the preserve of the privileged. This is achieved by its diversity of programming, which includes not just the well-loved classics, but also modern and contemporary choreography including works specially created for the company by the Artistic Director of the Company - Alan Foley; former ballerina with Irish National Ballet: Patricia Crosbie; and Cork-born Choreographer Jane Kellaghan among others. This blend of classical and contemporary dance in the one programme is in keeping with our intention of making dance as accessible as possible to the general public, and is a major factor in the company being able to attract a new and younger audience to ballet than ever before. Cork City Ballet aspires to promoting dance as a vibrant and enjoyable art form, and the Company's Artistic Director Alan Foley also directs the VEC Diploma in Dance course at Colaiste Stiofain Naofa, which is based at the Firkin Crane Theatre, Cork (also the home of Cork City Ballet). This interaction places him in the valuable position of being able to provide enviable educational opportunities to the students in stagecraft and dance evaluation through the work of CCB. Eminent Irish dancer Patricia Crosbie is now reinvesting her expertise in Irish Ballet through her direct involvement with CCB, and through her teaching of the full-time students in the Diploma in Dance course. Our links with the Irish National Youth Ballet and the Irish Russian Youth Ballet offer professional exposure to fledgling dancers. Artistic staff of Cork City Ballet regularly visit theatres in London, Stockholm, St. Petersburg and New York to engage in discussion with policy makers and to strengthen our established international network of contacts. Cork City Ballet's Aims and Objectives To present quality ballet to the highest possible standards. To offer a wide range of repertory that includes new and lesser-known works as well as the established classics. To promote and provide performance opportunities for Irish dancers, choreographers, teachers and practitioners. To extend the public's understanding and enjoyment of dance. To build on our existing international relationships, thus creating valuable exchange opportunities and absorbing international culture of dance into Irish ballet.