WELCOME TO BALLET KALAMAZOO
Hello Friends!
Ballet Kalamazoo is a youth ballet company in Downtown Kalamazoo, Michigan. Ballet Kalamazoo focuses on teaching a high standard of classical ballet technique.
Together, we create a positive, fun and healthy atmosphere to learn dance. Ballet Kalamazoo's goal is to mentor young people of all ages to be beautiful dancers who are grounded with solid values and personal integrity.
Through our commitment to family-friendly programming, age appropriate costumes, and music, we provide an environment that will inspire and empower, leading to the consistent achievement of goals.
Photo of Ballet Kalamazoo dancers by Picking Photography
BE THE NEXT GENERATION OF BALLET DANCERS
At Ballet Kalamazoo, you are gaining so much more than ballet lessons. You are joining the previous generations of ballet dancers
that have passed on their knowledge to continue to uphold and evolve the tradition that is the art form of Classical Ballet.
You are building strength, grace, confidence, discipline, balance, focus, spatial awareness, musicality, artistry, and flexibility.
You will learn of the great composers and dance the gift of classical ballets.
You experience the importance of working as a team and upholding your responsibilities. You feel the heart-bursting moment of leaping across the floor next to your best friends and on stage, you will always have the feeling of knowing you have someone on your side.
You discover your unique gifts that are nurtured, supported, and developed for success whether you are striving towards a career in dance or becoming something else. You learn from incredible teachers coming together to work with you each day to build your technique while focusing on bringing out the best in you. We will be with you through every plie, tendu, and pirouette, through the blood, sweat, and tears, through the celebrations of achievement of goals and making a plan towards them.
You will be empowered to share your unique, creative ideas and your voices. You will be YOU. You will discover what you are capable of beyond expectations. We will be there and cheer you on once you spread your wings to your next chapter. Ballet provides you with the tools you need
for success in anything, you dream of doing.
And if your day is hard you can come to class knowing you will always have a safe, welcoming place to dance at Ballet Kalamazoo.
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Fall in love with ballet
Our 2022/2023 Season is now open for registering.
Ballet Kalamazoo is a year-round training school for ballet. We have two 17-week semesters and a Summer Program.
Our 2022/2023 Season runs September 5th - May 25th, 2023 ending with a school-wide ballet performance, May 19th-21st, 2023.
June-August, we have summer Dancer Intensives, 3-week ballet classes, Fairytale Ballet Camps, and our Dancer Collective Retreat.
Each year, we perform The Nutcracker Kalamazoo, our Kalamazoo-inspired story of the beloved holiday ballet.
The performances are on December 4th and 5th, 2022.
Ballet Kalamazoo offers many paths to study classical ballet.
Children's Ballet Division: The Children’s Division is for dancers new to ballet and building the foundation of their ballet training. Dancers in these divisions take one-two dance classes per week. Tuition is billed by the semester. A deposit of first and last month's tuition is required to hold your place upon registering. The remaining tuition is due by September 5th and February 5th.
Ages 3-8yrs.
Youth Ballet Division: Our Youth Ballet Division is for dancers ages 8+ to build a strong foundation in dance to support their activities. Many athletes and competition dancers join Ballet Kalamazoo to strengthen their abilities and focus on their training. Ballet Kalamazoo fosters the love of dance while supporting our youth towards their dreams and reaching their fullest potential in whatever they decide to do.
Pre-Professional Ballet: The Ballet Kalamazoo Conservatory is a pre-professional ballet training curriculum for the more serious dancer ages 8+ that reaches Level 2 Ballet. Dancers in the conservatory take a required amount of classes per week based on their level. The Ballet Kalamazoo Conservatory classes are designed to guide each student in achieving their goals as ballet dancers.
Weekly classes include ballet training, pointe/pre-pointe, contemporary ballet, dancer conditioning, and jazz.
Please Note: Dancers ages 8+ not wishing to join the conservatory can continue their training at their level in our Youth Ballet Division without meeting the class requirements. We have many competition dancers and athletes that take one ballet class a week or private lessons to support their training.
We now offer a Classical Ballet Division and a Contemporary Ballet Division in our Conservatory Ballet.
Tuition is billed monthly on the 5th of the month and dancers receive multi-class discounts. Ages 8-18yrs.
Kalamazoo Youth Ballet: Ballet Kalamazoo's youth ballet company is an elite group of dancers that commit to their Ballet Kalamazoo Conservatory class requirements, uphold their responsibilities, and are role models for our youth dancers. Our youth lifestyle brand,
The Dancer Collective empowers young dancers to share their creative ideas, achieve goals, gain knowledge, and build relationships
through dance. Dancers in Levels 3-5 are welcome to join!
Your first class with us is free to try, so select the trial option when you register. This can help make sure your dancer is ready to commit to the full semester before buying the uniform. For the first class, please wear something comfortable to move in like leggings and a t-shirt or dance attire if you have one already. If they decide to sign up, then we do require a uniform.
We are pleased to announce our new location on the Downtown Kalamazoo Mall at 316 S. Kalamazoo Mall, Suite 108 inside the Peregrine Plaza.
WHAT WE OFFER
Classical Ballet Classes
Dance Lessons for dancers
ages 3-18yrs
Ballet Conservatory
For the more serious dancers
ages 8-18yrs
Kalamazoo Youth Ballet Company + The Dancer Collective
Kalamazoo Youth Ballet Company for dancers ages 9-18yrs
and online store
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Emerging Artist Mentorship Program
Apprentice Instructor Program and a platform to choreograph new works ages 18+
Please email Amy at info@balletkalamazoo.com with any questions on joining us for our 2022/2023 Season.
We can't wait to meet you and your family!
Youth America Grand Prix Training
Train to experience dancing in the prestigious ballet competition
Ballet Performances
From The Nutcracker, Fairytale Ballets and the Ballet Classics
Private Lessons
Take your ballet training to the next level through focused, customized one-on-one lessons
MAKE YOUR DREAM MORE THAN A WISH
Join us for our 2022/2023 Season of Dance!
Schedule
Important Dates:
Semester 1: September 5th - January 28th
Semester 2: January 30th - May 25th
August 29th: Kalamazoo Youth Ballet Meeting for Levels 3-5 at 6:00pm
August 30th & 31st: The Nutcracker Kalamazoo Auditions for Kalamazoo Youth Ballet at 6:00pm.
Dancers only need to attend one of the audition dates. Please note: Dancers ages 3-8yrs can sign up to participate in the first week of class. Must be able to attend rehearsal on November 26th.
Thanksgiving Break: November 23rd - 26th unless participating in the Nutcracker Kalamazoo. *November 26th is a required rehearsal date.
The Nutcracker Kalamazoo ~ December 3rd (Sat) and 4th (Sun), 2022.
*Tech/Dress rehearsals December 1st and 2nd at Comstock Community Auditorium.
December 5th-17th: Review weeks of the syllabus and Dancer Mid-Year Evaluations.
Winter Break: December 20th -January 7th, 2022
Spring Break: March 27th - April 1st, 2023
Snow White ~ A Fairytale Ballet: (Sat) May 20th and (Sun) 21st, 2023.
*Tech rehearsals May 18th and 19th, 2023 at Comstock Community Auditorium
Dancer Evaluation Exams: May 22nd -25th, 2023
Connect with us!
INCLUDE US IN YOUR JOURNEY
Tag us in your dance photos!
@balletkalamazoo
#balletkalamazoo
#discoverballet
@thedancercollective
#dancercollective
#kalamazooyouthballet
PARENT TESTIMONIALS
"Our oldest daughter began dancing with Amy Russell four years ago. I was looking for a studio that would teach technique in an age appropriate way without filling most of the class with games that did not support the training. Now, all three of my daughters (ages 8, 6, and 4) learn from Amy and I could not be more pleased with the training they receive. Amy treats each dancer, three years old through her oldest students, as full-of-potential ballerinas. Her classes are fun, but each activity is chosen wisely and supports the student in learning proper technique.
Above and beyond the excellent content and teaching, Amy sets a tone with her students to be encouragers of others, to support their fellow dancers, and to grow their hearts. I feel so grateful for my daughters to have her as a role model in their lives.
Ballet Kalamazoo events and productions are flawlessly tasteful and creative. The recital format of performing a ballet as a company allows each dancer to shine and learn to contribute to a greater goal.
My daughters are all so different, and Amy (and the teachers she hires), brings out the best in each of them. I love that she has grown the company so that there are options for dancers who wish to be more serious and engage in more training, but that each dancer is so valued for the individual goals he or she has. Each year, Ballet Kalamazoo grows in such positive directions and I am always excited to see what’s next!"
— SAMANTHA ANDERSON