Dance In The US
Dance In The US: Georgia Dance Conservatory
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.
Dance In The US: Florida Ballet Arts Academy
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:
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Low student/teacher ratios
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A homework study room provided for students
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Audition preparation/college preparation
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Specialized classes for young children
Dance In The US: Dance Conservatory
This week Dance in the US features Delaware…
Name: Dance Conservatory
Location: 522 Otis Drive in Tudor Industrial Park, Dover, DE, 19903
About: The Dance Conservatory is the official school of the Ballet Theatre of Dover, and it has been around for a quarter of a century. The pre-professional program has placed dancers in prestigious companies such as Los Angeles Ballet Theatre, Suzanne Farrell Ballet, Dutch National Ballet and Pennsylvania Ballet.
The Director of the school is Teresa Emmons, a Julliard School graduate with a diverse background in both teaching and performing. In addition to the regular class offerings, the Dance Conservatory also offers an intensive summer training program for intermediate, advanced and pre-professional students.
Dance In The US: Connecticut Concert Ballet
From Colorado, we move on to the state of Connecticut for our series on Dance in the US…
Name: Connecticut Concert Ballet
Location: (Two locations)
280 Garden Grove Rd., Manchester, CT 06040 and 599 Matianuck Ave., Windsor, CT 06095
About: Founded in 1973, this school has over 200 students who have been accepted into programs at places such as American Ballet Theatre, Boston Ballet and Ballet Austin, among others. Opportunities for students outside the CCB classroom include The Nutcracker and a Spring Performance, both of which take place each year.
The school includes the AMERICAN BALLET THEATRE® National Training Curriculum in Primary through Level 3. These classes are taught by ABT® Certified Teacher, Wendy Fish-Lawrence, who is also one of the Artistic Directors of Connecticut Concert Ballet. The other Artistic Director is David Lawrence who has been involved with The Ruth Page Dance Foundation in Chicago, Ballet Pacifica and The Orange County Performing Arts Academy, among other prestigious dance organizations.
Dance In The US: Academy Of Colorado Ballet
Our Dance in the US series moves on to Colorado…
Name: Academy of Colorado Ballet
Location: The school has two locations:
The Central location: 1278 Lincoln Street, Denver, CO 80203
The South location: 4181 East County Line Rd., Suite B, Centennial, CO 80122
About: This comprehensive dance school is connected to the Colorado Ballet, and offers a wide variety of different programs. There are classes for children and adults, as well as a pre-professional program and two competative programs. The pre-professional program features instructors that are certified in the Vaganova method, and graduation from the program offers some students a place within the Colorado Ballet’s professional company. The school also offers a summer intensive program.
I was particularly impressed with the large number of faculty members that the school has–as well as their credentials. The Academy has been around for over 30 years, and it has garnered a reputation for excellence.
Dance In The US: California Dance Arts
Dance in the US continues with sunny California…
Name: California Dance Arts
Location: Foothill School Complex, 4490 Cornishon Ave. #6, La Canada, CA 91011
About: Associated with the California Contemporary Ballet, the Academy has been around since 1987. The studios are top-notch, featuring 20-foot ceilings, sprung floors, air conditioning and state-of-the-art theatre lighting. Students from the school have gone on to dance at places such as American Ballet Theater, Pittsburg Ballet and Atlanta Ballet, among others.
The site for the school offers a very informative article, titled, “Six Things To Consider Before Choosing A Dance School” that is a terrific read for any parent who is thinking about dance lessons for their child. The faculty there have good credentials, and the founder and school director, Erin Holt has a pretty impressive background as well–especially in Modern dance.
Learn more about this school by checking out their blog.
Dance In The US: Arkansas Academy Of Dance
Our second featured studio from Arkansas is…
Name: Arkansas Academy Of Dance
Location: 10301 N. Rodney Parham Rd., Brackenridge Village, Little Rock, AR, 72227
About: This school has a typical lineup of classes, including creative movement, ballet, jazz and modern. It also offers Pilates. There is a scholarship program for boys and a cash-based referral program for those who get a new student to sign up and take some classes.
What really caught my eye was the creative way that they peppered mini-events into the dance class schedule. I noticed that they have a “bring a friend week”, a “parent participation week” and even a “costume week” to help keep things interesting. Just enough to prevent classes from getting boring–but not so much that there is no sense of routine.
The school is also affiliated with the Arkansas Festival Ballet.
Dance In The US: Shuffles & Ballet II, The Official School Of Ballet Arkansas
Next on the list we have Arkansas for our series on Dance in the US…
Name: Shuffles & Ballet II, The Official School Of Ballet Arkansas
Location: 1521 Merril Dr., Market & Merrill Shopping Center, Little Rock, AR 72211
About: This school opened in 1987 and it offers a wide range of classes in addition to ballet, including hip hop, jazz dance, tap and modern. They have a pre-professional program for serious dance students as well. Ballet Arkansas is affiliated with the school, and has been since 2001.
I found it interesting that many of the faculty members have a lot of experience in musical theater, which is also offered through the school. Make no mistake, however, there is some serious ballet background there as well, including faculty member Arleen Sugano, who once taught at the Joffrey Ballet School.
1Dance In The US: Arizona School Of Classical Ballet
More about ballet in Arizona….
Name: Arizona School of Classical Ballet
Location: 20820 N. 25th Place, Suite # 110 – 112, Phoenix, AZ, 85050
About: The Arizona School of Classical Ballet teaches the Russian Method of Classical Ballet and also offers a recreational program of dance, and an adult ballet program for those who are looking for something less demanding. There is a four-year program for students ages 3 to 7 that prepares them for serious study.
The more advanced study of ballet begins at ages 8/9, and after some time girls are exposed to pointe work as they are ready. Other dance styles offered here include character dance, flamenco, modern and jazz.
School director Nadya Zubkov has served in many different capacities in her career, including the Artistic Director of the Ballet Department of the Children’s School for the Arts in Moscow and as a full-time faculty member for the School of Ballet Arizona prior to her current position.
The faculty at Arizona School of Classical Ballet all have strong backgrounds, and it is clear that they all have a great deal of experience in their respective fields. I found it very interesting that they also have a music instructor on staff who teaches piano and music theory.
Dance In The US: Yuma Ballet Academy
Continuing in our new series, Dance in the US, lets take a closer look at ballet in Arizona…
Name: Yuma Ballet Academy
Location: 3942 S. Avenue 4 1/2 E, Yuma, AZ 85365
About: This school has an Early Childhood Dance Program for children ages 3 to 6, as well as the regular Ballet Program for those ages 7 and up. There is also a Contemporary Dance Program and a Teen/Adult program offered through the academy. The school offers performance opportunities for students that range from a year-end recital to performances with the company, Ballet Yuma.
The company is directed by Jon Cristofori and Kathleen Sinclair, and the school has had graduates that have gone on to places such as San Francisco Ballet, Houston Ballet, American Ballet Theatre’s Studio Company, Boston Ballet, Les Ballet Trockadero de Monte Carlo and Atlanta Ballet, among others.
As always, if you are from the company or the school and you would like to tell 4dancers readers something about your organization, please feel free to leave a comment…
