Ballet Fantastique

Frequently Asked Questions

I. What are Ballet Fantastique's instructor/coach qualifications?

Ballet Fantastique's coaches and instructors meet the highest standards in training qualifications. Each not only has extensive experience in ballet performance, but also in dance pedagogy, or the art and science of teaching. This means that they also know how to work with young people. This makes a big difference! Meet Ballet Fantastique's coaches/instructors.

II. What does it mean that Ballet Fantastique follows a "syllabus"?

Please check out our Vaganova Syllabus section to learn about why we have a progressive process for training each of our dancers for success.

III. When do Ballet Fantastique students go on pointe?

Dancers begin pointe work for the first time at The Academy of Ballet Fantastique under the careful direction of Artistic Director Donna Marisa Bontrager. Readiness for a dancer's first pair of pointe shoes is determined on an individual basis (with special attention to strength and muscular development in the legs, ankles, and lower back), but students must be at least ten years old, taking at least three classes per week, and have studied at Ballet Fantastique intensively for at least one year. Beginning pointe work in the Vaganova Syllabus involves slow work facing the barre as dancers build strength. Literature about beginning pointe work is available for interested parents. Note: Dancers should wait to sew ribbons and elastics on new shoes before having them evaluated for a safe, secure fit by Ms. Bontrager.

IV. Is Ballet Fantastique only open to serious, professionally inclined students over the age of 9?

For young people ages 9 and up, Ballet Fantastique is primarily a "serious" ballet school in the sense that we believe that a dancer can't really do "real" ballet (pointe work, advanced leaps and pirouettes, etc.) without having the strong technique that comes from taking regular classes. Ballet is not only an art–it's also a sport. And as a sport (and a very athletic one!), there are inherent risks involved when the body isn't conditioned accordingly. For the safety and success of our dancers, Ballet Fantastique doesn't sugarcoat the story: You can't take just two or three classes per week and still be qualified an "advanced" dancer. Our class hours and frequency support this philosophy and align with other respected ballet institutions in the process.

Your dancer doesn't need to know if he or she wants to pursue a career in dance. Whether your dancer wants a career as a professional dancer or not, you want the absolute best and safest training available, with the most qualified coaches. The Academy of Ballet Fantastique provides that training.

NOTE: Ballet Fantastique also offers a wonderful Young Dancer Program for kids ages 4-8, and our Adult Ballet Drop-In Program for teens, college students, and adult community members. Please see below.

V. I am the parent of a young dancer who loves to dance, but I don't want to stifle her creativity. Will she only get "ballet" training in the Ballet Fantastique Young Dancer Program?

Ballet Fantastique's Young Dancer Program is creative, fun, and playful. While it's based on the fundamental concepts of dance, it accesses and communicates these concepts in a way that kids relate to. We are NOT a strict ballet program for kids. While we do teach respect and the rules of good classroom etiquette from our documented Young Dancer Syllabus, our teachers add a dash of age-appropriate imagination and sparkle to make sure that kids have fun as they learn about moving their bodies to music. Young Dancer Program dancers learn plies and sautes through Jumping Frogs and the Magic Beanstalk Dance, learn stage runs with our Airplane Dance March, and learn dance hands with Magic Gloves and Bumblebee Fingers–and so much more! In the process, Academy of Ballet Fantastique students also learn how to follow directions, work with a group, count music, be aware of their bodies in space, and express themselves creatively. It's a winning program for kids, no matter how you look at it.

VI. When should my child begin dance training and why?

Generally, serious ballet training should start at age 8, 9, or 10, when young people are developmentally ready for the physical and intellectual demands of ballet training. While readiness for ballet training varies with the dancer, we've found that this age is more often than not the best time to start in what we call our Professional Training Division. Classes and choreography for young people at this beginning level continue to use creative concepts and to engage dancers in choreography they can relate to. For students ages 4-8, Ballet Fantastique offers stellar classes in pre-ballet movement and fundamental dance and music concepts (see above).

VII. How much are tuition costs for classes and for summer camps and the Summer Intensive Program?

Tuition varies and depends upon how many classes a student chooses to take. Arrangements may be made through the school administrator to pay in installments. Ballet Fantastique tuition is very competitive with other fine institutions.

VII. Do tuition costs include dancewear and shoes?

Your dancer will need to purchase his or her own dancewear and shoes for ballet class. These items may be purchased at a local retail store (Target and Wal-Mart actually carry tights and leotards, and some local consignment stores have a nice selection, as well); but note that it's best to get your ballet slippers fitted by a store specializing in dance accessories (we recommend Dancer's Closet on 5th and High). Here's what you'll need for class:

• Young Dancer Program Dress Code (ages 4-8)
• Professional Division Dress Code (ages 7 and up)