Dance In The US

Dance In The US…Ballet Quad Cities School Of Dance

August 16, 2010 by 4dancers

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.

Indianapolis School Of Ballet

July 7, 2010 by 4dancers

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.

Dance In The US: The Academy Of Dance Arts

May 30, 2010 by 4dancers

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.

Dance In The US: Ballet Idaho Academy

May 6, 2010 by 4dancers

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

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.

At the helm is Peter Anastos, Artistic Director, who is well-known in the dance world for his many accomplishments. An excellent faculty includes Heather Hawk, a lovely dancer who I had the privilege of studying with years ago at Chicago City Ballet School.

Dance In The US: School Of Ballet Hawaii

April 21, 2010 by 4dancers

This week, Dance in the US heads for Hawaii…

Name: School Of Ballet Hawaii

Location: 650 Iwilei Road, Honolulu, HI

About: This school has a year-round training program for all levels of dance students, as well as an annual Nutcracker performance. There is also a Spring production. A summer intensive program is offered for intermediate and advanced students.

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.

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