Comprehensive dance instruction that prepares dancers for the Professional Program. Classical training follows the Vaganova curriculum as taught at the Vaganova Academy of Russian Ballet in St. Petersburg.
Alongside ballet, Preparatory students study jazz and theatre dance, character and flamenco, modern and tap. Performance opportunities with International Ballet Theatre help them develop a strong body and technique, and through the curriculum they gain a strong work ethic, confidence and self-discipline.
IBA graduates earn scholarships and apprenticeships with companies and universities around the world, among them The Juilliard School, UC Berkeley, Harvard, Stuttgart Ballet, the Dutch National Ballet and Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater.
Alumni
Jazz in the Luigi technique, character dances from Poland, Hungary, Russia and Spain, flamenco from Andalucía, and modern in the Graham, Limón, Cunningham and Horton techniques, each from age 11 in up to three levels.
The first year of formal training in classical ballet: beginning barre and center work, and stretching. Students develop muscular control, self-discipline and turnout, and may begin character, theatre dance, flamenco and modern, along with pre-pointe exercises to prepare the legs and feet for pointe shoes. Dancers may take part in the End of Year Performance, IBT's annual children's production and The Nutcracker, and can audition for other select IBT productions.
Building on Level One, students develop focus, musical awareness, muscle control and stamina, and foundational classical technique. After assessment by the class instructor, dancers may begin pointe work. Dancers may take part in the End of Year Performance, IBT's annual children's production and The Nutcracker.
More advanced skills and intermediate movements build coordination, musicality, balance and muscle control, and pointe work continues. Dancers may take part in the End of Year Performance, IBT's annual children's production and The Nutcracker.
More complex skills and more difficult choreographic and musical patterns, with rigorous, consistent practice of the foundations and continued pointe work. Broader performance opportunities with International Ballet Theatre open at this level.
Mastery of more complex movement and choreography, with ongoing development of classical technique and performance skills. Dancers begin advanced pointe work.
Increasingly complex movement patterns and variations, more challenging musical phrasing and choreography, and a strong focus on agility, strength, elegance and flexibility. Pointe work grows in difficulty, with more challenging combinations and classical variations.
Students refine technique, artistry, style and performance toward a professional level, with a strong focus on dynamic movement, stamina, elegance and strength, and increasingly demanding pointe work and variations.
Continued refinement of technique, artistry, style and performance at the professional level, with the most demanding pointe work, combinations and classical variations.
Based on the Luigi jazz technique, students learn jazz movement built on extension and strength, blending into a sophisticated, elegant style. Two levels: intermediate and advanced.
Folk dances from around the world combined with elements of classical ballet: original dances from Poland, Hungary, Russia and Spain, and character scenes from the classic ballets. Three levels: beginner, intermediate and advanced.
The traditional song and dance of the Gitano people of Andalucía in southern Spain, a powerful expression of history, culture and art. Students learn beginning technique and choreography: arm movements, footwork, stylized body positions and basic flamenco rhythms. Three levels: beginner, intermediate and advanced.
A broad genre without a single strict structure, with a focus on free movement that develops each dancer's natural flow into artistic expression. Classes draw on the Martha Graham technique (percussive qualities), the Limón technique (circular), the Merce Cunningham technique (angular) and the Lester Horton technique (isolations). Three levels: beginner, intermediate and advanced.
A dance for two, often performed with difficult lifts and virtuosic promenades. Dancers study partnering technique and the coordination and communication they will rely on on stage. It usually takes many years of classical training to build the stability, strength and coordination this class needs.
Dancers in Levels One and Two should not buy pointe shoes until they have met with the artistic director about fitting and preparation. The pointe shoe meeting is held at the IBA studio; date and time to be announced.
Entrance to the Preparatory Program is by audition and open to dancers with previous experience. To arrange an audition, call (425) 822-7694 or write to the academy office. Please review the Parent Portal instructions before you register.
The audition class is $75 and is credited to the registration fee on acceptance. The annual registration fee of $75 is due at registration.
| Lessons a week | Monthly |
|---|---|
| 1 | $245 |
| 2 | $360 |
| 3 | $515 |
| 4 | $685 |
| 5 | $810 |
| 6 | $915 |
| 7 | $985 |
| 8 | $1,050 |
Each level requires a minimum number of ballet lessons a week; the curriculum above lists them, and the business office has printed copies.
See the registration forms and the IBA Parent and Student Manual for the full tuition policies. Teens and adults can also take drop-in open classes, and studios can be rented through the front office.
Regulation attire is enforced; see the IBA dress code. Pointe shoes are worn with the instructor's permission only.
On Pointe Dancewear is the academy's official uniform provider and carries the required IBA logo uniforms: 12001 NE 12th Street, Suite 85, Bellevue, WA 98005, (425) 643-2386, onpointebellevue@gmail.com. Open Monday to Friday 11 AM to 6 PM, Saturday 10 AM to 4 PM, closed Sunday.
