Denyse Looney teaching ballet in Studio One. --Photo by Rachel Hutami-Goodhill

"There is always a moment in childhood when the door opens to let the future in."
                                             --  Graham Greene  --

Dance Beacon/Ballet Arts Studio
TRAINING DANCERS SINCE 1969

At Dance Beacon/ Ballet Arts Studio, we open that door for children of all ages every day, and have been since 1969, when Ballet Arts Studio was founded.

At Ballet Arts Studio, Dance Beacon, and the Dutchess Dance Company, we know that there is nothing that compares to conservatory-based dance training for teaching children and young adults the meaning, joy and fulfillment that comes from commitment and hard work--all in the context of the beautiful art form that is dance. The value of our programs is measured each and every day, when the students see the physical results of that discipline,
commitment and hard work in their own bodies and
in their developing artistry.


Founded originally as Ballet Arts Studio in 1969, now known as Dance Beacon/Ballet Arts Studio 
and utilizing a progressive approach to the Vaganova system, our programs have grown to include the Dutchess Dance Company (formerly the Dutchess Ballet Company) and The Young People's Performance Company, Inc. ("YPPC"), which focus on pre-professional performance experiences, including community-based performances, as a means to personal growth, dance training and artistic development.
 
Dance Beacon/Ballet Arts Studio, Dutchess 
Dance Company and YPPC programs center around
a complete approach to learning, individual growth, and talent and artistic development. The faculty at Dance Beacon/Ballet Arts Studio and Dutchess Dance Company nurture positive attitudes and attributes in students so that each may fully develop their personal and creative potential. Welcome to Dance Beacon/Ballet Arts Studio, and the Dutchess Dance Company, where children of all ages experience personal and artistic transformation.
 
Sincerely,
Alex Bloomstein
Artistic Director
"Ballet Arts' performance at the J.V. Forrestal Elementary School  
was a unique experience for our students.  They were very impressed to see the ballet dancers perform so gracefully.  I could hear students talking about the performance and trying to imitate some of the dance moves they saw.  Bringing the dancers from Ballet Arts Studio to the J.V. Forrestal Elementary School was my way of supporting the arts and the Beacon Community.  I wish the talented students at Ballet Arts Studio much success."

Wanda Gonzalez, Principal
J.V. Forrestal Elementary School
Beacon, New York



Dance Beacon/Ballet Arts Studio

Quality. Creativity. Commitment.

Classical dance training transforms discipline, commitment, hard work, struggle and effort into freedom and joy. As students discover that practice leads to fluency, they experience the awe and wonder of authentic self-expression. For young performers, standing on a brilliantly lit stage is unforgettable. But beyond the mythic dream of actually becoming a performer, it is the students' experience of the value of discipline, teamwork, perseverance and just plain hard work that these young artists take with them out of the studio, off of the stage, and into life.


Facility

Dance Beacon/Ballet Arts Studio and the Dutchess Dance Company are located in the thriving and developing arts community of Beacon, New York. In addition to shops, art galleries and an antiques district, Beacon is the home of
Dia: Beacon Reggio galleries, featuring one of the largest contemporary art collections outside of New York City.

Our school facility includes a performance size main studio, a lower level studio and classroom, offices, waiting areas, and dressing rooms. Both studios have sprung floors.


Dance Beacon/Ballet Arts Studio Faculty

Our faculty is dedicated to maintaining high standards in the teaching of Vaganova-based classical ballet. We combine this most classical and technical method with the best of the subsequent Russian methods, together with the French and Italian schools, while adding a distinctive dose of American restlessness and spirit.

Extraordinary INSTRUCTION
Individual ATTENTION
 
Our professional faculty shares a common technical background and educational philosophy. Our teachers and guest artists received their training and performance experiences in internationally recognized conservatories and dance companies, including American Ballet Theatre, New York City Ballet, the Boston Ballet, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, The Washington Ballet, The School of American Ballet, the American Ballet Theatre Scholarship Program, the Pearl Primus Dance Company, the Merce Cunningham Dance School, and the Rockettes. Together, they provide full and exciting dance training in a creative environment that emphasizes communication and creativity between students and teachers.


Laura Martel teaching Lower School I ballet in Studio One. --Photo by Rachel Hutami-Goodhill

The primary emphasis at Ballet Arts Studio is on technical training. Students also have opportunities to perform in various venues throughout the area.

Each year, the faculty carefully assess and place each student in the class level best for that student's growth and progress.


Classes

♦ Classical Ballet ♦ Pointe
♦ Contemporary and Modern Dance
♦ African Dance ♦ Jazz
♦ Private Coaching ♦ Performance and Audition Preparation
♦ Performances ♦ Guest Artists

Classical Ballet
Alex Bloomstein
Deanna Ford
Todd Hall
Jennifer Fuchs Hart
Denyse Looney
Laura Martel
Laura Seaman
Man-ching Tom
& Guest Artists

Contemporary and Modern Dance
Alex Bloomstein
& Guest Artists

Jazz
Deanna Ford

African Dance
Belle Golden

Classical Ballet Curriculum
  • Preparation for Ballet is geared to three to five year olds who are just starting out on their journey into dance. The class is designed to teach children a love of dance, encourage artistic creativity, and gently set the foundation for the discipline that is classical dance. The class meets once each week.

     
  • Lower School Ballet, Levels I through III, is designed for children ages five through nine. In these classes, large and small motor skills and coordination are developed using conservatory-level standards. Students are introduced to the French vocabulary associated with ballet, and are also introduced to specific ballet steps utilizing proper ballet technique. Creative and expressive movement, teamwork, music appreciation, and encouraging a love of movement are emphasized. Depending on the class level, students study two or more times per week.

     
  • Middle School Ballet, Levels I & II focuses on dancers aged nine through 12 to 13. The primary goals remain developing coordination and encouraging a love and appreciation of proper technique and of movement and music. Class work continues to include the development of large and small motor skills and the French language vocabulary of ballet. Students begin to learn more and more complex ballet steps using proper technique. Students are introduced to specific expressive concepts of movement, and how to communicate through movement. Multiple classes are offered, and students are strongly encouraged to take more than two or three classes each week.

     
  • Upper School Ballet, Levels I & II focuses on 13 to 14 year old dancers through to pre-professional. The training continues to meet conservatory standards. Progress is guided and measured by individual evaluations and appropriate placements. Students may work on more than one level within the Upper School simultaneously, or stay in one level for more than one academic year. Multiple classes are offered, and students are encouraged to take class every day, and to take more than one class each day.

     
  • Pointe and Master Classes. Class placements are made following an individual assessment by the Director, in consultation with faculty members. A minimum of three technique classes per week is necessary to build and maintain the strength level required to safely progess on pointe.

     
  • Private Coaching and Audition Preparation. Private instruction addresses individual development with specific corrections and coaching. Whether regular or occasional, private classes are an excellent tool for enhancing progress. Students who require audition choreography should speak with Ballet Arts' staff and faculty at least eight weeks in advance of an audition date. Cancellations of privates and coaching must be made with more than twenty four hours advance notice, or the fee for the private or coaching session will remain due.
     
        All students are placed in classes according to age, maturity, physical 
        development, technical proficiency and experience.


Ballet Arts Studio, Dutchess Dance Company and Dance Beacon Performances

  • The ANNUAL SHOWING OF THE CURRICULUM takes place in each class during the final week of December before the holiday break. Parents, family and friends are invited to take photographs and to videotape.

     
  • The SPRING CONCERT and STUDIO PERFORMANCES at Ballet Arts Studio provide an intimate atmosphere in which young dancers can explore performance and excel as dancers.

     

Photo by Rachel Hutami Goodhill


Students’ Artistic & Academic Achievements

Dream. Envision. Strive.

The Ballet Arts Studio and Dutchess Dance Company have provided educational guidance for students and emerging artists who have been accepted to the following nationally recognized schools, colleges, universities and dance companies.

Professional Schools

·The School of American Ballet (Official School of the New  York  City Ballet)
·The North Carolina School of the Arts
·The American Ballet Theater School
·The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater (On scholarship)
·Houston Ballet School
·Ballet Met
·The Miami City Ballet Summer Program
·The San Francisco Ballet Summer Program
·The Boston Ballet School and Apprentice Program
·The Rock School of the Pennsylvania Ballet Company
·The Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet Company
·The Berlin State Opera Ballet School ( Germany)
·Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival Summer Programs
·The New York State Summer Schools of the Arts, Ballet and  Modern Divisions
·Walnut Hill School for the Arts
·The State Street Ballet Colleges
·Barat Conservatory
·Barnard College (High School Valedictorian)
·Boston College
·Brandeis University
·College of Saint Rose
·Columbia University
·Connecticut College
·Dean College
·Duke University (High School Valedictorian)
·Goucher College
·Hamilton College
·Ithaca College (Doctoral program in Physical Therapy)
·Mary Mount Manhattan College (High School Valedictorian  with  full artistic merit scholarship)
·Mercyhurst College
·University of Maryland (Full artistic merit scholarship)
·University of Michigan
·The Juilliard School
·Pennsylvania State University (High School Valedictorian)
·Point Park College (Presidential scholarship)
·New York University -- Tisch School for the Performing Arts
·Sarah Lawrence College
·Smith College
·State University of New York at New Paltz, Purchase,  Binghamton, Geneseo, Buffalo (with various artistic  scholarships)
·University of the Arts (Presidential Scholarship)
·Vanderbilt University (High School Valedictorian)
·Vassar College (High School Valedictorian)
·Wake Forest College

Professional Dance Companies

♦ American Ballet Theater
♦ The Dayton Ballet Company
♦ Les Grands Ballet Canadiens
♦ The Pennsylvania Ballet Company
♦ The North Carolina Dance Theater
♦ 42nd Street on Broadway
♦ The Joffrey Ballet
♦ The Pacific Northwest Ballet Company
♦ The State Street Ballet
 		  



Facility
Faculty
Curriculum
Level Guide
Schools