“Dance instruction of the highest quality that inspires the love of dance”

The Ashburn Academy of Ballet was established in June 2001 to provide dance training of the highest caliber. Classes are offered for students ages three through adult. The school has two programs available to accommodate all dancers’ needs. The Pre-Professional program provides the serious dancer with an intensive curriculum. This program is specifically designed with an emphasis on ballet and includes supplementary classes in other forms of dance. The school also offers a Recreational program to give students the opportunity to receive a solid foundation in dance. This curriculum provides professional training to the dancer without the serious commitment required by the Pre-Professional program.

Although ballet is the foundation of dance, the school offers a diverse program to create a well-rounded dancer. Additional classes in jazz, tap, hip-hop and Pilates are an integral part of the training at the Ashburn Academy of Ballet. Additional classes in jazz and tap are an integral part of the training at the Ashburn Academy of Ballet.

The Ashburn Academy of Ballet is now located in a state of the art 6,000 square foot facility in the Ashburn Technology Park. The school houses three spacious studios equipped with resilient floating wood floors with marley coverings. Parents are able to watch students on 19 inch flat panel monitors in the open waiting area.

The Ballet Theatre of Ashburn is a non-profit company established to provide Pre-Professional students with the opportunity to participate in performances in the community.  Students in the Pre-Professional Levels 2 and 3 are eligible to join the Ballet Theatre of Ashburn III, students in the Pre-Professional Levels 4 and 5 are eligible to join the Ballet Theatre of Ashburn II and students in the Pre-Professional Levels 6 and 7 are eligible to join the Ballet Theatre of Ashburn I.

About the Directors

Katherine Beliveau
Director

Katherine Beliveau received her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Ballet with teaching and performance emphases from the University of Utah. Her training also includes Caryl Maxwell Classical Ballet, Ballet West Conservatory, Shenandoah Conservatory and Frederick Classical Ballet. She danced professionally with Ballet Theatre of Maryland for four seasons. She has been teaching at several dance schools in the Maryland area for the past twelve years.

Anne Marie Kimmell
Director

Anne Marie Kimmell is a graduate of the Virginia School of the Arts. She received her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Ballet with teaching and performance emphases from the University of Utah. Her training also includes the Princeton Ballet and Ballet West Conservatory. She danced with Ballet Theatre of Maryland for three seasons and most recently with the Alexandria Ballet. She has been teaching dance in the northern Virginia area for the past thirteen years.

Instructors

Tara Bunkall - Tara received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Dance from Southern Utah University. Her training also includes The Loudoun School of Ballet and the Northern Virginia Center for Dance and Theatre. She has taught and choreographed for schools in Utah as well as in the Northern Virginia area for the past sixteen years.

Melissa Rapone - Melissa received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science with a minor in dance from Mercyhurst College. She has taught and choreographed for schools in New York as well as in the Northern Virginia for the past five years.

Bahareh Sardari (Guest teacher and choreographer) - Bahareh graduated form the Royal Ballet School and the Royal Academy of Dance. She was a soloist with the Iranian National Ballet Company as well as several other companies around the world. She has choreographed and performed in many theatres in the area including the Arlington Dance Theatre and the Kennedy Center. Bahareh has been teaching in the area for the past twenty-one years.

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