Dance In The US

Dance In The US: Florida Ballet Arts Academy

March 23, 2010 by 4dancers

Dance in the US now heads down to Florida…

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.

fbaa — 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

Dance In The US: Dance Conservatory

March 7, 2010 by 4dancers

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

February 28, 2010 by 4dancers

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

February 20, 2010 by 4dancers

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: Shuffles & Ballet II, The Official School Of Ballet Arkansas

January 30, 2010 by 4dancers

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.

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