"There is always a moment in childhood when the door opens to let the future in."-- Graham Greene --
The Dutchess Dance Company
At the Dutchess Dance Company, and Dance Beacon/Ballet Arts Studio, we open that door for children of all ages every day. Because, 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 exquisite 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 in 1969 as Ballet Arts Studio, and utilizing a progressive approach to the Vaganova system, our programs have grown to include Dance Beacon and the Dutchess Dance Company, focusing on professional-level performance experiences as a means to personal and artistic development.
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
The Dutchess Dance Company
Perform. Serve. Accomplish.
The Dutchess Ballet Company was founded by Valerie Feit in 1994 under the auspices of The Young People’s Performance Company, Inc. ("YPPC"), a New York State not-for-profit corporation. Alex Bloomstein is now the Artistic Director and Executive Director of the Company, now called the Dutchess Dance Company (DDC"). The Dutchess Dance Company is dedicated to providing a variety of performance experiences to dancers. DDC member dancers work with professional choreographers, and perform in various venues, utilizing professional level production values. DDC members also work and perform with community organizations. Opportunities for DDC members include hands-on learning in the areas of arts administration, public speaking and organizational management. Portfolios developed by DBC members are often featured parts of college applications.
The operations of the Dutchess Dance Company are separate from the Ballet Arts Studio and Dance Beacon.
Photo by Rachel Hutami Goodhill
Students’ Artistic & Academic Achievements
Dream. Envision. Strive.
Ballet Arts Studio and the 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 School (Full 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 (
·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
Denyse Looney teaching ballet in Studio One. --Photo by Rachel Hutami-Goodhill