Has your child been begging to begin ballet classes? Unsure where to go, or where to start? Not a ballet dancer yourself? Not even sure what happens in a ballet class beyond cute children in tiny leotards twirling around?
As a ballet mom I was in the exact same place almost 14 years ago.
Are we the right studio for you?
Ballet Arts Academy is a Spokane, WA dance school that focuses on classical ballet training. This is in contrast to dance studios that simply offer ballet. What does that mean for you? If your child is looking to dabble in different styles of dance: tap, jazz, hip hop and ballet, then we are not the studio for you. However, if you are interested in a ballet school that teaches a proven ballet curriculum and is passionate about technical training, then you have come to the right place.
What will my child learn in class?
Our youngest ballet students will learn gross motor skills such as, marching, jumping, hopping, skipping, galloping, and tip toe walking. They will also learn how to keep time with music and memorize simple choreography. In addition, preschool age students will learn how to listen and follow directions. This important skill will benefit them as they enter their formal academic environments. Most importantly, your children will fall in love with their ballet instructors and friends and will ask you daily when the next ballet class is.
What happens at the end of ballet class?
At the end of ballet class tiny dancers excitedly exit ballet class with huge smiles on their faces. They run to mom and dad for a hug and show them the sticker they received from class. I watch as dancers stand on their toes and twirl around. And time and time again, parents tell me their children wake up in the morning asking “Is today ballet day?” These scenarios truly make my job fulfilling.
How much does ballet cost?
Creative Movement (ages 3.5-4yrs) 30 min weekly classes $55 per month
Pre-Ballet 1 (ages 5-6yrs) 45 min weekly classes $65 per month
Pre-Ballet 2 (ages 6-7) 45 min weekly classes $65 per month
Ballet 1 (minimum age 7yrs) 1 hr weekly classes $85 per month
There is an annual registration fee of $30 due at time of enrollment
Costume fee (optional) approximately $70 (due in January)
Recital Fee (optional) approximately $50-$90 (due in January)
What are my next steps?
If you are ready to take the next step and get your little one started in ballet please do one of two things.
Look at our schedule HERE and register straight into the class of your choosing and click Trial. You will only be charged $5 and will be sent your informational email without the need to be contacted by staff.
We are so excited that you are here and we hope that you are able to Imagine your child’s face on their first day of ballet.
Our ballet theme camps for young dancers are something our students and staff look forward to every year. This is the third year we have offered camps and Aladdin did not disappoint. With our Aladdin theme, our tiny dancers came dressed in Jasmine costumes and our teen helpers were dressed in Arabian costumes as well. So adorable! They were introduced to their teen dancer who stayed with them throughout the week offering one on one play, dance and craft help. During art exploration time they made genie slime, played in rainbow rice sensory bins, decorated colored lanterns and magic carpets, rubbed a genie lamp, made wishes and took magic carpet rides. They then moved into ballet class and continued the fun with our teacher Miss Heather.
It is so wonderful to watch our teen dancers fall in love with their tiny dancers and be such amazing role models. We have also heard from our young dancer families that their children had a magical time as well.
This year we are excited to offer a second theme camp the first week of August. Cinderella Ballet Camp is up next and we have so many fun art exploration and dance activities planned.
Ballet Arts Academy is growing and we are so excited to welcome Rachel Quick to our studio. We are so excited to have her teaching Creative Movement and Pre-Ballet on Saturdays.
At the age of 12, Rachel discovered her passion for ballet at Surrendered School of the Arts in Tacoma. Growing up near Seattle, she spent her high school years studying ballet, attending summer intensives, and participating in community performances with local studios including The Ballet Theatre School and Metropolitan Ballet of Tacoma.
Rachel is a recent graduate of Whitworth University where she majored in Biology with a minor in Spanish. Throughout her college years, Rachel continued cultivating her skills and investing in her passion for dance by serving as the ballet teacher and artistic director for Whitworth University’s dance club, Jubilation Dance Ministry. She now works as a Program Associate for Innovia Foundation in Spokane.
“As a young girl, I tried many sports and extracurricular activities before I discovered my passion for ballet. As a teacher, I cherish every opportunity to spark a love for the movement and joy of dance in my students. The pursuit of dance not only offers a beautiful outlet for creative expression, but it also instills the importance of perseverance and dedication: qualities that can serve and inspire students of dance for a lifetime.”
We are excited to welcome our new instructor for Creative Movement, Pre-Ballet and Beginning Ballet, Heather Portue. Miss Portue’s dance journey began at the age of seven at Ballet Coeur d’Alene. There, under the direction of Ceci Klein, her love for the art form of ballet was cultivated. As a high schooler, Heather studied ballet as well as other styles of dance at the Spokane Valley Academy of Dance with Kristen Potts, Phaedra Jarret and Lesley Gray. For the past four years, Heather has been attending Whitworth University majoring in history and minoring in French. During her undergraduate years, she took dance classes at the university and taught ballet and contemporary for Whitworth’s dance club; Jubilation Ministry. Heather is currently in the Master’s in Teaching program at Whitworth to become a history teacher. “I believe taking ballet and dance does so much more than expand students’ dance ability. The skills developed in pursuing dance, such as perseverance and teachability can serve young people in so many areas of their life. And perhaps most importantly dancing is a source of great joy. My memories of dancing are some of the most cherished of my life and I hope my dance students will have those same kinds of experiences as they study at Ballet Arts Academy.” We are so excited to have Heather as part of our BAA family.
This year was the first time that Ballet Arts Academy students entered the studio in masks. However, they did not let this limit their enthusiasm. For many, it was the return to the studio after months of coronavirus quarantine.
The students were taught by our very own Mimi Ewers and Monica Rota-Romberg. We also welcomed guest instructor Corrine Jarvis, a corps de ballet dancer from The National Ballet Company of Mexico.
Students were instructed in daily ballet technique and pointe work and finished off the afternoons with Flamenco, ballroom, contemporary or variations. We were encouraged by the amazing progress our beginner/intermediate level ballet students made in pointe work during this summer intensive, as most had earned their point shoes a week earlier.
Students thoroughly enjoyed ballroom class from Harmony Ballroom instructor Ingrid LaVoie. Monica Rota-Romberg introduced our dancers to beautiful Flamenco fan work and older students practiced dancing in beautiful red ruffled “batas.” Classical variations learned during the intensive included: La Fille Mal Gardee, Esmeralda and Zulma from Giselle.
We implemented our Covid-19 procedures of social distancing by separating chairs in our hall 6 ft and making them “get ready areas.” It has been an adjustment for our students, but they have done a great job helping us implement these procedures that will help us mitigate the spread of the coronavirus. It was a lovely two weeks of summer intensive and watching the students dance passion become reignited was the best part.
Intermediate/Advanced girls dancing in “bata de colas”
Summer Intensive 2020 Variation Class
Ballet Arts Academy
109 W Pacific Ave, Spokane, WA | 509.838.5705
