BalletNova: Mason’s mecca for dance

BalletNova, the dance studio in Bailey’s Crossroads, is not
just about little girls in tutus and buns dreaming about Swan Lake and sugar
plum fairies.

The school (3443 Carlin Springs Road) also offers classes for
classes for kids and adults in modern dance, jazz, hip hop, tap, pilates, and
yoga-based stretching. Ballet classes range from pre-ballet for the little ones
to a pre-professional track for serious dancers hoping to join a professional
ballet company, to master classes taught by visiting professionals.

There’s also a youth and teen program for kids who just want
to take a ballet class once a week but not make a career out of it. During the
summer there are children’s dance camps and intensive workshops for those who
want to take it to the next level.

About 800 students are enrolled in BalletNova classes, and
another 150 or so adults have bought cards they can use to pop in for a class
whenever their schedule permits, says BalletNova Director Caroline Frankil Warren. For beginners, there are brief
“try-it-out” workshops in jazz, modern, hip hop, and ballet.

Because ballet offers so many benefits, including improved
posture, grace, body awareness, muscle tone, and stress relief, it attracts
athletes, other types of dancers, and people who just want to be fit, notes
Melissa Klein, a former ballerina who takes adult classes at BalletNova.

“Ballet is the
foundation of all dance,” and once you’ve mastered the basic techniques, it’s
easier to excel in other dance forms, says Klein. She calls dance “part of the
enjoyment of life.”

BalletNova presents “Tthe Nutcracker”every December,
and there’s an annual spring performance featuring a mix of classic ballet, modern
dance pieces, and new pieces choreographed by Artistic Director Nancie Woods.

The school takes part in several community partnerships. Its
Jeb Stuart/Culmore Neighborhood Outreach program, for example, provides free
dance instruction to members of  Jeb Stuart High School’s dance team.

On Aug. 24, BalletNova will present a performance
choreographed by Elizabeth Burr, the winner of the organization’s first “Young Choreographers” competition. Burr won a $500 dance scholarship.

There will be another “Young Choreographers” competition
later this year. It’s open to any dancers ages 14-18; they don’t have to be
students at BalletNova. Contestants will be invited to submit videos to You
Tube. Ballet professionals will select the finalists, and the winner will be
chosen by the public via online voting.

The teachers at BalletNova have had distinguished careers as
dancers, choreographers, and artistic directors with major ballet companies.

BalletNova alumni have gone on to dance professionally with
the American Ballet Theatre, Dance Theatre of Harlem, Pittsburgh Ballet
Theater, Ballet Met of Columbus, the Royal Ballet, and other prestigious
companies. Some have also pursued full-time dance training at places like the
National Ballet School of Canada, School of American Ballet, and the North
Carolina School of the Arts.

Warren acknowledges one of the school’s biggest challenges—recruiting
boys. There are just five boys taking ballet classes, including one 16-year-old
who is spending the summer studying at the Houston Ballet.

To drum up more interest, BalletNova holds a free Boys Day
once a year, where eight to 14-year-old boys can take classes in things like stage
combat, martial arts, and leaps and turns. “It’s a lot of fun for them. We
don’t call it ‘ballet,’” says Warren.

The studio is in the midst of a fundraising campaign, with
the goal to raise $6,000 to create a theatre for performances. Companies and
individuals interested in exploring sponsorship opportunities are encouraged to
contact Warren.

The school moved to its current location in Bailey’s
Crossroads in 2008, after being based in Arlington for 25 years. After moving,
the group changed its name from the Arlington Center for Dance to BalletNova,
which more accurately reflects the fact that students come from the entire
Northern Virginia region.