Ballet School Offers Program Aimed at Home-Schooled Students

Ballet des Amériques School and Company in Port Chester now offers a program for home- and cyber-schooled students. The new program at the dance school in Westchester County is a full-day dance class with breaks for school work.

A student at Ballet des Amériques School and Company stands in développé à la seconde.

Ballet des Amériques School and Company is a pre-professional school and dance company that focuses on classical dance and education in the performing arts. Founded in 2011 by director Carole Alexis and board chair Hans-Jakob Wilhelm, the school prides itself on offering the highest possible dance training and education, Wilhelm says.

Ballet des Amériques School and Company teaches children as young as 4 its specific curriculum, which includes classes in a variety of dance techniques, dance history, music classes, and workshops. For children attending traditional school, dance school starts in the afternoon and evening

On Sept. 3, the school began offering a program for home- and cyber-schooled students who are serious about dance. Starting at 8:30am and running until 4-5pm, students can take dance classes and dance-related education classes, while having breaks for completing traditional schooling and homework.

“More people are home-schooled and cyber-schooled, and Ballet des Amériques School and Company wanted a way to integrate more dance with traditional schooling,” Wilhelm says.

This program is an opportunity for children who are serious about dance to take classes while having a place to complete their schoolwork, however children and their parents are responsible for their traditional education.

The dance company associated with Ballet des Amériques School and Company is currently comprised of 10 dancers in their mid to late 20s. Once a high school graduate, students from the dance school may audition for a spot in the company.