Cleveland School of Dance Named Official School of the Cleveland Ballet

Helmed by Artistic Director and former Cleveland San Jose Ballet Principal Dancer, Gladisa Guadalupe, Cleveland School of Dance is now the Official School of the Cleveland Ballet. Cleveland School of Dance is a direct "descendant" of the former School of Cleveland Ballet. The non-profit organization is comprised of former artists, faculty, accompanists and staff of the former School of Cleveland Ballet, Cleveland Ballet and Cleveland San Jose Ballet.

The mission of Cleveland School of Dance is to educate its students by offering them quality dance training and intensive instruction in the highly structured and disciplined techniques of dance and its related arts. The training creates a refined sensitivity and developed appreciation for the unique art of classical ballet among students.

Founder and Artistic Director of Cleveland School of Dance, Gladisa Guadalupe, was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico and started her training with Ballet de San Juan, becoming one the company’s youngest members. A Scholarship Alumna of the School of American Ballet, the official training academy of the New York City Ballet, Ms. Guadalupe studied under the celebrated George Balanchine, father of American ballet and of the modern ballet movement. After her studies, Ms. Guadalupe forwarded to a career in professional ballet. She has performed under legendary choreographers George Balanchine, Dennis Nahat, Ian Horvath, Margot Sappington, Ana Garcia, John Butler, Choo San Goh and Louis Falco. Ms. Guadalupe’s career as a Principal Dancer has included work with Ballet De San Juan (Puerto Rico), Ballet Nuevo Mundo de Caracas (Caracas, Venezuela), The Cleveland - San Jose Ballet (San Jose, California and Cleveland, Ohio USA) and The Cleveland Ballet (Cleveland, Ohio USA). She has toured North and South America, Asia and Europe.

After retiring from the stage, Ms. Guadalupe served as Director and Principle Teacher at The School of Cleveland Ballet. There she was credited for maintaining the school’s high quality of training and artistic standards. Concurrently, she acted as an Artistic and Company Teacher for Cleveland San Jose Ballet Company. She has also been an Adjunct Instructor for the Cecchetti Council of America, American Ballet Theater, Ballet De San Juan, Ballet San Jose, Ohio Ballet, Rochester School of Ballet and The University of Akron.

Ms. Guadalupe has been recognized as a Distinguished Teacher in the Arts and for Promotion of Excellence in the Arts by the National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts.

Founded in November of 2000, Cleveland School of Dance is committed to providing its students with high quality instruction, safe training and a solid dance syllabus. Artistic Director, Gladisa Guadalupe stated “The dual purpose of Cleveland School of Dance is to create and produce artists of the highest caliber, capable of fulfilling the aesthetic needs of major ballet and dance companies, and to enhance and enrich each child’s life by conveying the rewards that dedication, desire and discipline will produce.”

Cleveland School of Dance ballet students follow a structured curriculum designed to develop their technical skills, stamina, vocabulary and discipline in agreement with their age and physical development. The curriculum includes: ballet technique, pointe, variations, contemporary dance, Spanish dance, caractere, music theory, body alignment and conditioning as well as modern dance, jazz and improvisation. Additional courses offered in nutrition, preventive injury, drama, dance and ballet history and yoga, also compliment the Cleveland School of Dance curriculum.

For those interested in the art or desiring a career in professional ballet, Cleveland School of Dance offers quality training and excellent exposure to classical ballet and dance. Graduates have been placed in local, national and international ballet and dance companies or have pursued collegiate arts study.

For more information on enrollment at Cleveland School of Dance, the Official School of the Cleveland Ballet, call (216) 320-9000 or visit Clevelandschoolofdance.org.

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