Late JuneOpen
Technique week
The barre and the center, every morning.
Mornings are two technique classes. Afternoons are conditioning and a short combination that the group works on all week.
- Ages 13 and up
- Mon to Fri, 9 am to 3 pm
Ballet for teens and adults
Ballet for teens who train and adults who return
Three teachers on State Street. Start with a placement visit: take a class, meet the teachers and find out which level fits.
The levels
Five levels, and how a student moves up
Levels are named for what a student does in them. Ages are a guide. A teacher places every new student at a placement visit.
- 01
Foundations
Teens and adults, new to balletSkillsThe barre, in the order it is taught
Positions of the feet and arms
A short combination in the center
Moving upYour teacher moves you up when the barre is steady and you can follow a center combination without the steps being called. It is a conversation, never a test.
- 02
Elementary
Teens and adultsSkillsA longer barre with turning and balance
Small jumps and traveling steps
Port de bras that joins the arms to the legs
Moving upA teacher tells you what to work on and says so when the class above would suit you. Nothing here is decided by age.
- 03
Intermediate
Teens and adultsSkillsAdagio and allegro combinations
Pirouettes and longer turning sequences
Pointe work, when your teacher says so
Moving upTeachers look at how you work at the barre and in the center, and at how you take a correction. Alfonzo talks with each student before a move.
- 04
Advanced
Teens and adultsSkillsA full barre and a long center
Variations taught as classes
Conditioning built into the week
Moving upBy agreement between the teachers and the student. Advanced is the highest class level, and students stay in it as long as it serves them.
- 05
Performance group
By audition, teens and adultsSkillsRehearsals for the spring performance
Learning choreography at pace
Classes beside the Advanced level
Moving upBy audition in spring. An audition is a class in the studio, and students wear practice clothes.
Where to startBook a placement visit
Sample levels.
Where a new student starts is the teacher's call. Adults who danced as children often start above Foundations; tell us at the visit.
Summer
The summer intensive, in three weeks
Full mornings of ballet, open to students from other schools as well. Take one week or all three.
Summer
Early JulyOpenPointe and variations week
Pointe work and a variation, taught step by step.
For students who already work on pointe with their own teacher. A guest teacher joins Alfonzo to set a variation, and families and friends come in on Friday for a showing.
- Ages 14 and up
- Mon to Fri, 9 am to 3 pm
Mid JulyWaitlistPerformance week
Rehearsing a piece for a showing.
Long days of rehearsal, with a technique class each morning. The week ends in a showing for families and friends.
- Ages 13 and up
- Mon to Fri, 9 am to 4 pm
Sample sessions.
Weeks and hours are set each year. The placement page has the current list.
The teachers
The teachers who place you and teach you
Alfonzo, Melba and Sreymom lead the classes on this page. Each one meets a new student at a placement visit.
Alfonzo Spearman
Owner and director
Alfonzo places every new student and teaches the Advanced and performance group classes. He trained as a dancer from his teens and spent his performing years in a ballet company before he began to teach.
Melba Chatfield
Teacher, adult ballet
Melba teaches the Foundations and adult classes. She came back to ballet as an adult herself, and she remembers what a first class feels like.
Sreymom Prak
Teacher and rehearsal pianist
Sreymom teaches teen technique, pointe and conditioning, and plays the piano for rehearsals. She trained as a dancer and studied piano alongside.
The year
From registration to the spring audition
The dates that shape a year here, in the order a student meets them.
This school year
Fall registration opens
June · Registration for the fall session, for new and returning students.
Placement visits
July and August · A class with our teachers, and a talk about the level that fits.
First day of the fall session
Early September
Winter break
Late December · The studio is closed. Classes resume in early January.
Spring audition for the performance group
March · An audition is a class in the studio. Students wear practice clothes.
Spring performance
May · The performance group and every level take part. Guests need tickets.
Sample dates.
The week
Find a class by age, level or style
Choose a day, then narrow the week to what fits you.
Fall session
Showing 13 of 13
Monday
5:00 pm – 6:15 pm
Teen ballet
Sreymom Prak · Studio A
6:30 pm – 8:00 pm
Ballet technique
Alfonzo Spearman · Studio A
Tuesday
10:00 am – 11:15 am
Adult ballet
Melba Chatfield · Studio A
5:30 pm – 6:45 pm
Pointe
Sreymom Prak · Studio B
7:00 pm – 8:30 pm
Adult ballet
Melba Chatfield · Studio A
Wednesday
5:00 pm – 6:15 pm
Teen ballet
Sreymom Prak · Studio A
6:30 pm – 8:00 pm
Ballet technique
Alfonzo Spearman · Studio A
Thursday
10:00 am – 11:15 am
Adult ballet
Melba Chatfield · Studio A
5:30 pm – 6:30 pm
Conditioning for dancers
Sreymom Prak · Studio B
7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Performance group rehearsal
Alfonzo Spearman · Studio A
Friday
5:00 pm – 6:15 pm
Ballet technique
Sreymom Prak · Studio A
Saturday
9:30 am – 10:45 am
Adult ballet
Melba Chatfield · Studio A
11:00 am – 12:30 pm
Ballet technique
Alfonzo Spearman · Studio A
Nothing matches that filter.
Sample classes.
Classes are up to 12 students; pointe and the performance group are up to 8. The placement page has this week's times.
Questions
Questions before a first class
How do I start?
Book a placement visit. You take a class with our teachers, then talk with one of them about which level fits and when to start. You don't need to have danced before.
I haven't danced in years. Is that all right?
Yes. Many of our adult students danced as children and come back after a long break. Say so at the placement visit and the teacher will suggest a class that suits where you are today.
What is a level, and how does a student move up?
A level is a class named for what you do in it. A teacher moves you up when the work is steady, after talking with you. The levels page lists what each one asks.
What should I wear?
A leotard or a fitted top, tights and ballet slippers. Adults may wear workout clothes they can move in, and socks are fine for a first class. Hair is off the neck and jewelry stays at home.
When does a student start pointe?
When the teacher says the student is ready. It is a conversation about strength and technique, held in class and with Alfonzo, and it never depends on an age.
What are the extras?
Costumes for the spring performance, the performance itself, pointe shoes and the dress code. Each is named in writing, with its purpose, before you register. How tuition works has the full list.
Come and take a class
A placement visit is a class with our teachers and a talk about where you start.