4dancers

This week our series on “Dance in the US” takes us to Louisianna…

Name: Shreveport Dance Academy

Location: 2537 East 70th Street, Shreveport, LA71105

About: This dance academy is also home to the Shreveport Metropolitan Ballet. The facility is 9,000 square feet, and there are five studios. Sprung floors and limited class sizes help insure that students will have a safe experience with plenty of personal attention.

The studio teaches classes for those ages 2 1/2 to adult, and there are also offerings besides ballet, including Pilates, tap, jazz and hip hop. For more information about the school, tuition and policies, visit their site on the web.

This week, “Dance In The US” takes us to Kentucky…

Name: Kentucky Ballet Theatre Academy

Location: 736 National Ave., Lexington KY 40502 

Photo courtesy of Kentucky Ballet Theatre Academy

About: This ballet school offers a solid curriculum with some interesting classes. Besides the typical fare, such as creative movment and technique classes, you will also find things such as pas de deux classes, pre-pointe classes and even the opportunity to perfect things like turns through private lessons. There is even a salsa class offered.

The school’s approach to training is described as, “combining the strength of the Russian School of dance with the Cuban influence of fluid movement, rhythm, and passion”.

You can visit their website for details on things such as the dress code, class prices and registration.

Today our series on “Dance In The US” takes a look at Kansas…

Name: Kansas City Ballet School

Location: This school has two locations

1. The Downtown Campus, 1616 Broadway Blvd., Kansas City, MO 64108

2. The Johnson County Campus, 5359 W. 94th Terr., Prairie Village, KS 66207  

Photo courtesy of Kansas City Ballet School

About: Students who attend the Kansas City Ballet School not only get top-notch training from experienced faculty–but they also receive some nice additional perks as well. Classes are taught with live piano accompaniment–something that I know from experience can give a dancer the opportunity to develop their musicality in depth.

In addition, the school provides a stepping stone for those who want to go on to a professional dance career–the Kansas City Youth Ballet. The dancers who perform with this company are between the ages of 13 and 18, and they study with the faculty of Kansas City Ballet, as well as the director of the Youth Ballet, Alecia Good.

Our series on Dance in the US continues today with a closer look at a school that is actually located in Illinois, but perfect for those living in any of the “Quad Cities”, including those near Davenport, Iowa…

Name: Ballet Quad Cities School Of Dance

Location: 617 17th Street, Rock Island, IL  61201

About: Ballet Quad Cities School of Dance (or BQC School of Dance) offers classes ranging from creative movement to ballet, rhythm tap and Pilates conditioning. Students are evaluated for placement in the appropriate level and class sizes are kept small so that individual attention can be given to every person in the classroom.

Besides being given the opportunity to perform in the annual Nutcracker production, students are often able to dance for an audience at other community functions throughout the year.

For those interested in learning more about the school, BQC School of Dance has their handbook posted on the website with all the details, including dress code, class costs and more about the faculty at the school.

Name: Indianapolis School Of Ballet 

Location: 502 N Capitol Avenue, Suite B, Indianapolis, IN 46204

About: Newly updated dance studios (in 2006) are just one of the reasons this ballet school is a standout. Offering some truly inspiring views of downtown, the space is inviting and well appointed. (And parents will appreciate waiting areas that come complete with wireless internet.)

Victoria Lyras is the Artistic Director here, and she is one of many well-qualified faculty members. In addition, the school also hosts guest teachers that have included the likes of Violette Verdy and Scott Jovovich, among others. In short, the calibur of teachers here is top notch.

Programs range from master classes to a pre-professional program for students ages 8 and up. There is also an open division for teens and adults and a young children’s program for those from 4 to 8.

This week Dance in the US features a studio from my home state of Illinois…

Name: The Academy of Dance Arts

Location: 1524 Centre Circle Drive, Downers Grove, IL, 60515

About: The Director of this school is Sherry Moray, who was in Chicago City Ballet’s company when I studied there. In addition to Ms. Moray, the faculty also features Homer Hans Bryant as a master guest teacher. Both of these dancers/teachers have been featured in Dance Teacher magazine–and with good reason–they are very talented.

The school is located in Downers Grove, and it has six studios that accommodate a wide variety of classes. Ballet, tap and jazz are all offered, but there are also modern, hip hop and lyrical classes. Adults and teens will find a place here as well. Of particular interest are the “Leaps & Turns” classes that concentrate on honing the skills needed to perfect these movements. The school also offers a summer intensive.

Our series on Dance in the US goes out to the west as we take a closer look at Ballet Idaho Academy… 

Name: Ballet Idaho Academy 

Location: 501 S. 8th Street Boise, Idaho 83702   

Heather Hawk

About:

Ballet Idaho Academy is associated with Ballet Idaho, the company. As I looked through the site, I found an impressive “handbook” for parents that outlines in detail nearly anything you could possibly want to know about attending classes there. A very helpful resource. It discusses class levels, gives class descriptions, talks about summer programs and performance opportunities and describes the dress code and code of conduct. Excellent! 

The school offers an ensemble, which gives students the opportunity to get pre-professional experience through an educational outreach program. Admission is by audition only.  

This week, Dance in the US heads for Hawaii…

Name: School Of Ballet Hawaii

Location: 650 Iwilei Road, Honolulu, HI

The school has an outreach program that does work both within the community and the neighboring islands.

There is a great FAQ section that has a wealth of information. It covers things such as how many classes a child should take per week,  what age the school begins pointe training and what performance opportunities the children have through the school. This is a lovely feature that I wish I saw on more dance school websites–it’s most helpful for parents.

The school also offers a variety of adult ballet classes.

Photo by Anne Mcelwain

Time to head to the south for our next installment of Dance in the US for a peek at this Georgia studio…

Name: Georgia Dance Conservatory

Location: 49 West Park Square, Marietta, GA, 30060

About: Founded in 1956, the Georgia Dance Conservatory emphasizes classical ballet training, but also has classes in jazz,  pointe and contemoporary dance. The school is associated with the Ruth Mitchell Dance Theatre and they are housed in the same location.

Students from the GDC have gone on to dance at places such as the Boston Ballet, The Houston Ballet, The North Carolina Dance Theater, The Martha Graham Dance Company and in a variety of Broadway productions.

In addition to regular classes, the school has a summer intensive as well as a yearly recital.

Name: Florida Ballet Arts Academy

Location: 2900 Hyde Park Street, Sarasota, FL 34239

About: Founded in 1962, the Florida Ballet Arts Academy trains students according to the Vaganova Syllabus and has a variety of other classes besides ballet. These include Modern, Jazz, Contemporary, Hip Hop and even Zumba.

The studio has sprung wood floors to help protect the dancers feet and legs, and high ceilings, which add atmosphere and allow for pas de deux work that includes lifts.

Sybil Manzano (photo by MaryElizabeth Mock)

The website lists a number of reasons that students should consider enrolling there–a neat feature that can help parents decide if the facility is for them. Among the reasons listed are:

• Low student/teacher ratios
• A homework study room provided for students
• Audition preparation/college preparation
• Specialized classes for young children