The Conservatory

West Suburban Ballet Conservatory provides serious pre-professional students the tools they need to be successful ballet dancers. Training is rigorous but enjoyable.

Levels

Conservatory Apprentice

Ages: 12-13+
Frequency: 4x/week
Training incorporates more repertoire to develop artistry, personality, and virtuosity. Continued development and refinement of technique is encouraged by focusing on consistency, repetition, and overall movement quality.

Conservatory

Ages: 13+
Frequency: 5x/week
Dancers develop necessary strength, coordination, and artistry for a comprehensive understanding of classical ballet vocabulary and style. Training in other dance forms encourages versatility.

Sample Schedule

Class Descriptions

Ballet Technique

The best elements of the French, Italian, and Russian schools are combined with a focus on coordination, alignment, and kinetics.
Repertoire

Learning and rehearsing classical ballet repertoire provides dancers with the opportunity to explore artistry, musicality, and dynamics. Repertoire hours include rehearsals for performances and individual/group coaching for competitions.
Pointe

Strong pointe technique is essential to the proper execution of classical repertoire and a major factor in injury prevention.
Variations

Dancers learn solos from classical ballets and work on classical solo competition entries.
Conditioning

Pilates with props, floor barre, TheraBand, and circuit training enhance strength and aid in injury prevention.
Character

A subdivision of classical ballet, character dance focuses on building coordination, musicality, and a more expressive upper body through national and folk-dance styles from classical ballets.
Contemporary

A blend of creative dance, artistry, athleticism, and awareness, contemporary challenges dancers to work with an infinite vocabulary of movement.
Open Studio | Study Hall

Time set aside for dancers to practice on their own and/or complete schoolwork.

Pilates Apparatus

WSBC dancers have access to a fully-equipped onsite Stott Pilates studio and in-house physical therapy to enhance training and prevent injury.

WSBC dancers have access to a fully-equipped onsite Stott Pilates studio to enhance training and prevent injury.

Guidance & Enrichment

WSBC dancers receive the tools necessary to be successful in the field, including:

Ongoing evaluation
Audition preparation
College and career guidance
Resume building
Special topics seminars

We are proud of our alumni, who have gone on to Fordham University, Ballet West Academy, School of American Ballet (SAB), Pacific Northwest Ballet, San Francisco Ballet School, The Florida Ballet, De La Dance Company, Oregon Ballet Theater II, Atlanta Ballet II, and Texas Ballet Theater.