Uploaded May 2026 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
In 1979, the Joffrey Ballet School created a classical ballet program designed specifically for deaf and hard of hearing children ages 8 to 11, with the goal to eventually integrate them into hearing classes — and to give every child access to the dream she deserves.
Meredith Baylis, a ballet teacher and former ballerina with the Ballet Russe de Monte-Carlo, developed the program. She solved communication challenges with creativity, special speakers, vibrations through the floor, and a blackboard. The episode also features a performance of choreographer Gerald Arpino's L'Air d'Esprit, and a candid conversation between Sills, the students — including her own daughter Muffy — and their parents about what it means to live, learn, and dance between two worlds.
Subscribe to a THIRTEEN newsletter to stay informed: qrco.de/BroadwayAndBeyond2026
This 1979 episode from the THIRTEEN Vault is part of Skyline, featuring performers and artists with interviews with host Beverly Sills, the American operatic soprano.
The WNET Group presents Broadway and Beyond, a special collection of Broadway and arts programming, and archival selections from the THIRTEEN Vault, premiering in May and June.
#BeverlySills #DeafCulture #JoffreyBallet #Ballet #InclusiveArts #DeafChildren #THIRTEEN #Archives #NewYorkCity #GeraldArpino #DeafAndHardOfHearing
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THIRTEEN is one of America’s most respected and innovative public media providers. Part of The WNET Group, THIRTEEN is a unique cultural and educational institution that harnesses the power of television and electronic media to inform, enlighten, entertain and inspire. The flagship public television station of the New York City tri-state area and the most-watched public television channel in the nation, THIRTEEN reaches millions of people with programming that celebrates arts and culture, offers insightful commentary on the news of the day, explores the worlds of science and nature, and invites people of all ages to have fun while learning.
In 1979, the Joffrey Ballet School created a classical ballet program designed specifically for deaf and hard of hearing children ages 8 to 11, with the goal to eventually integrate them into hearing classes — and to give every child access to the dream she deserves.
Meredith Baylis, a ballet teacher and former ballerina with the Ballet Russe de Monte-Carlo, developed the program. She solved communication challenges with creativity, special speakers, vibrations through the floor, and a blackboard. The episode also features a performance of choreographer Gerald Arpino's L'Air d'Esprit, and a candid conversation between Sills, the students — including her own daughter Muffy — and their parents about what it means to live, learn, and dance between two worlds.
Subscribe to a THIRTEEN newsletter to stay informed: qrco.de/BroadwayAndBeyond2026
This 1979 episode from the THIRTEEN Vault is part of Skyline, featuring performers and artists with interviews with host Beverly Sills, the American operatic soprano.
The WNET Group presents Broadway and Beyond, a special collection of Broadway and arts programming, and archival selections from the THIRTEEN Vault, premiering in May and June.
#BeverlySills #DeafCulture #JoffreyBallet #Ballet #InclusiveArts #DeafChildren #THIRTEEN #Archives #NewYorkCity #GeraldArpino #DeafAndHardOfHearing
Please SUBSCRIBE if you enjoyed: youtube.com/@ThirteenWNET?sub_confirmation=1
For full episodes, check out thirteen.org
Facebook: facebook.com/thirteenwnet
Instagram: instagram.com/thirteenwnet
TikTok: tiktok.com/@thirteenwnet
-----------------
THIRTEEN is one of America’s most respected and innovative public media providers. Part of The WNET Group, THIRTEEN is a unique cultural and educational institution that harnesses the power of television and electronic media to inform, enlighten, entertain and inspire. The flagship public television station of the New York City tri-state area and the most-watched public television channel in the nation, THIRTEEN reaches millions of people with programming that celebrates arts and culture, offers insightful commentary on the news of the day, explores the worlds of science and nature, and invites people of all ages to have fun while learning.
