The most abiding legacy of any community is its arts. With the back to basics trend in education, the arts are systematically being cut out of the schools. Nothing is more basic however than the imagination. Imagination is what gives us the intellectual muscle to work through the problems of an increasingly complex world. The arts sharpen one's awareness of the riches of existence, transforming even mean streets into places of promise. The arts are both a private need and a public good. Dedicated to the development of dance and dancers in New Mexico, Ballet Theatre has held workshops and performed in the past ten years for over 45 schools, reaching thousands of Albuquerque children.