Featured Programs: Ballet School at Bement

The Ballet School at Bement, located on the lovely Bement School campus in the heart of historic Deerfield, offers quality dance instruction for ages 4 and up. Classes are age-appropriate, helping students discover the joyous world of dance, music and art while teaching them correct technique as they progress through the levels. In the Children’s Division (Creative Movement, Pre-Ballet 1 and 2, Primary) students will learn the very basic positions of the arms and legs and beginning elements of ballet class while also using their innately creative spirits to explore movement and music. In the Lower Division (Levels 1 and 2), students will begin to study ballet in the traditional class format of barre work and center work, including basic jumps and turns, slowly building strength and coordination necessary for progression. Class work in the Upper Division (Levels 3 and up) will increase in complexity and difficulty as the students become strong and more sophisticated in their ability to move in an expressive, musical, and coordinated way. The mandatory number of lessons per week is necessary for students to master and maintain the material. Students will begin pre-pointe and pointe work in Level 3.

Program Director and Teacher Janine Parker has been teaching for over twenty years. She had a long affiliation with the Boston Ballet School where she served as faculty member, Associate Principal in the Boston location and Assistant Principal in the Metrowest location. Prior to that, Ms. Parker ran the Children’s Dance Extension at the Walnut Hill School for Performing Arts in Natick, Massachusetts. During that time she was also the Assistant Director for Walnut Hill’s Summer Dance Workshop. Locally, Ms. Parker was the Artistic Director for Pioneer Valley Ballet from 2003-2005. In addition to running The Ballet School at Bement, she teaches ballet at Williams College. Ms. Parker has written extensively about ballet and dance for The Boston Globe and The Boston Phoenix.

Contact the Ballet School: ballet@bement.org