Ballet After Dark is an organization that provides somatic interventions, trauma-informed care, dance therapy  and holistic methods  to encourage survivors of various levels of violence to heal their bodies using movement. We define somatic intervention as  reconnecting and regaining control of our mind and body through movement,  various  trauma-informed practices, classes and resources focused on providing holistic healing resources with positive impacts and outcomes. Our goal is to create a community of survivors.

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Our Vision is to be a global program that provides a trauma-informed, dance therapy curriculum and holistic resources to youth and women impacted by various levels of trauma throughout the African diaspora.

Our Impact

Ballet After Dark initially began as a series of community based, dance therapy workshops before being developed into a trauma-informed curriculum. Between 2014-2018, a total of 52 trauma-informed dance therapy workshops were facilitated providing somatic intervention to over 176 youth and women impacted by violence and trauma in Baltimore City.

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In 2019, we developed the curriculum for our somatic intervention program and piloted with a micro-cohort of 12 survivors. To date, our dance therapy cohort has provided resources to over 150 youth and women in Baltimore City.

A one-time special international project in partnership with La Casa Mandarina allowed us to provide resources to 22 survivors from marginalized indigenous, trans and Afro-Latina communities.

Founding Director

Tyde-Courtney Edwards is the Founding Director of Ballet After Dark, a classically trained ballerina, art model and survivor of sexual assault. Born and raised in Baltimore City, she is a graduate of the Baltimore School for the Arts and has over 20 years of dance training and experience. Trained in various styles of dance including classical and contemporary ballet, pointe, modern, lyrical, jazz, tap and hip-hop, she conceptualized Ballet After Dark after struggling with recovery following her sexual assault. Tyde-Courtney has trained with Debbie Allen Dance Academy, Dance Theatre of Harlem, Peabody Conservatory, Joffrey Ballet, Alvin Ailey and other institutions while receiving training from local dance pioneers such as Anton Wilson and Stephanie Powell. She currently resides in Baltimore City.