Ballet Schools
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the Ballet Space
http://www.theballetspace.com
Some very good friends of ours send their daughters to the Ballet Space in Saxonville. The actually turned down a scholarship to the Walnut Hill School in favor of The Ballet Space. 2 Watson Place behind the Athenian Hall.
Best Regards,
Bob Zakrzewski 7/2/07
New England Ballet
Wayland
For high quality ballet classes, I also recommend Christine Towle at New England Ballet of Wayland. They are on route 20 across from Whole Foods Market, behind the dry cleaner. Chris also has extensive professional experience and is a seasoned, compassionate educator with a great sense of humor. Chris teaches adults and children alike. The other teachers there also seem terrific, but I have not taken those classes. You can reach Chris at or call .
Ronda Yeomans 7/2/07
Stage Door Dance
Boston Post Road East in Marlboro
Regarding challenging, high quality ballet instruction, my daughter and I have had several years very positive experience with Stage Door Dance on Boston Post Road East in Marlboro. Kathy Cobb, the owner/choreographer/lead teacher, has an extensive professional resume and several years teaching experience. She also employs other talented and knowledgeable teachers, including Jonathan Towle, who provide high quality instruction in a variety of dance styles. (Jazz, Hip Hop, Tap). I believe a Modern class is scheduled to start in the fall. Stage Door offers 3 studios (classrooms) so there is plenty of room to move. Go watch her teenaged students perform some ballet pieces (or ask to see the DVD from the show). You'll be impressed. Some of them are seriously pursuing dance careers and already have professional credits. Stage Door is located in the plaza across from the Walgreen's at Farm Road. I take the back roads and can be at the studio in 10 minutes (from Edgell). What's really great for me is that they offer adult classes (ballet, tap and jazz) so that my "work out" (dancing)is a laugh riot. I have made some wonderful friends there. They offer a summer dance camp for kids in August too. The number for Stage Door Dance is . You can email Kathy Cobb at or call .
Ronda Yeomans 7/2/07
Walnut Hill School
Natick
I want to recommend the Walnut Hill School in Natick. We actually moved here from Japan in order that my daughter attend Walnut Hill, and we were both extremely happy with what the school had to offer, artistically, academically and in terms of support for the "whole child". My daughter also attended the ballet summer program there for 2 summers, and, in our opinion, the summer program was less intensive, less rigorous than the year-long program. We thought that the Walnut Hill summer program was geared for the younger ballet students, while older/more advanced students would be better advised to go to summer programs at SAB or ABT in NYC, Boston Ballet, or other programs around the country or abroad - my daughter attended the National Ballet of Canada in Toronto one summer.
Walnut Hill offers classes to the community, as well as their own students, but I don't know the quality of that instruction. There are different instructors for those students. Those community students do appear in the annual Nutcracker, unuslly in lesser roles than the enrolled students.. I won't provide a phone number for Walnut Hill, as the number may have changed since my daughter graduated in 2000, but the website is Walnuthillarts.org, I believe.
Other students from this area attend classes at Boston Ballet.
Sigrid Shiotani Paddock 7/2/07