As a Dance Academy student, you are part of a rigorous program, led by Dean Silas Farley, that develops a select group of talented young dancers between the ages of 14 and 19 into stunning professional dancers and artistic leaders.
We're all really supportive of each other. We try to build off one another's strengths and weaknesses. And it's really cool to be taught and mentored by dancers I've always admired. Leah Upchurch, Dance Academy student
We're all really supportive of each other. We try to build off one another's strengths and weaknesses. And it's really cool to be taught and mentored by dancers I've always admired.
The rigorous Dance Academy curriculum is designed to prepare students for careers as dancers, focusing on classical ballet while providing instruction in other styles. By exposing students to choreographic masterworks with coaching by faculty who themselves are leaders in the field, the Dance Academy gives its students the tools they need to find a new richness in their dancing and become successful artists.
Such notable names as Wendy Whelan, Peter Boal, Helgi Tomasson, Mikko Nissinen and the Dance Academy’s own Artistic Advisor, Benjamin Millepied, have led Dance Academy master classes providing unique access and exposure to leaders in the field. As a result, graduates of the Dance Academy currently perform with New York City Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, Pacific Northwest Ballet, National Ballet of Canada and numerous other professional companies, trainee programs, and university dance programs.
James Fayette has a deep understanding of how the employment of dancers is managed and is keenly sensitive to the needs and career concerns of professional artists.
Dancer, educator, and choreographer Silas Farley, a recent New York City Ballet alumnus, is Dean of the Trudl Zipper Dance Institute and an Amplify Artist.
Seth Belliston was trained at the Belliston Academy of Ballet and the School of American Ballet.
Darleen Callaghan, a highly respected dance professional with over 30 years of performance and administrative experience, is nationally recognized for her work as Director of the Miami City Ballet School and the North Carolina Dance Theatre School of Dance.