School FAQs

At Springfield Ballet, we believe every student deserves the best dance education, regardless of age, ability, aspiration, or socio-economic status.

• Our program is designed to give students the highest quality classical ballet education, supplemented by exceptional training in contemporary dance styles.
• Our syllabus is designed to build strength and artistry in every dancer, allowing each dancer to work in a healthy, anatomically correct way.
• Our highly trained faculty and staff support this belief and respect each dancer’s individuality.

At Springfield Ballet, we truly believe that dance is for everyone and that art can foster community, create positive influence, and inspire the individual. All of our students learn skills necessary for a successful career in any field, including (but not limited to!):

• organizational and coordination skills
• superior concentration levels
• overall health & physical fitness
• quick learning skills
• agility
• memory
• confidence
• grace and poise under pressure
• the ease of being in front of an audience
• exceptional work ethic

If you are new to Springfield Ballet, your first step in enrolling in a class is to fill out our Pre-Registration Form. In this form, you’ll answer questions letting us know how old your child is, what type of dance experience he/she has had (if any), along with any other information you would like us to know. From there, a Springfield Ballet staff member will contact you to inform you of your child’s placement or set up a free trial class (if necessary). This class is designed to be an opportunity for your child to see if he/she enjoys the class, as well as an opportunity for a Springfield Ballet director to assess your student to be sure he or she is placed in the correct level. This process is incredibly important in making sure each student is placed in the correct level, keeping students healthy and learning in the best possible environment. For students under the age of 8, or for students with no previous dance experience, placement can be determined without an assessment. Once placement is determined, you may enroll your student in the appropriate level through the Business Office or online.

For our younger classes (Creative Movement 1, Creative Movement 2, Pre-Ballet, Ballet 1), we limit classes to 10-12 students. For all levels above Ballet 1, class size is determined by the location of the class—Studio A can accommodate 20 students, Studio B can accommodate 10 students, Studio C can accommodate 12-15 students, and Studio D can accommodate 14-18 students. Each class must have at least 3 students, or it may be canceled.

Fees for classes vary based on level and number of classes taken per week. For a complete breakdown of tuition rates per semester, as well as all other rates and fees, visit our Tuition page.

• Tuition is due during the first week of classes and is NON-REFUNDABLE.
• A $10-$15 registration fee per student is charged each semester.
• For the open adult ballet & conditioning class, we offer a drop-in rate and a class card rate. The registration fee is waived for this class. For more information on adult rates, visit our Tuition page.
• If a student wishes to participate in a production, there is a $100 production fee per production ($150 for students not currently registered at Springfield Ballet).
• Private lessons & rehearsal makeup lessons must be paid at the time of the lesson.
• Families with two or more students enrolled receive a 20% discount off the lowest (and all subsequent) student’s tuition as long as all students are registered at the same time.

Tuition may be paid in full for the semester or in monthly installments, due by the 15th of each month. Any payments received after 5 business days of the due date will be subject to a $15 late fee.

You may pay tuition and all other fees by check or credit card. No cash will be accepted for tuition payments.  For all other Tuition Policies, please refer to the Student/Parent Handbook.

A limited number of scholarships are available for students age seven and older who have a strong passion and desire for ballet. The interested child must go through an application and audition process, and the child need not have previous dance training. Scholarships are awarded for the fall and winter/spring semesters, with amounts based on financial need, talent, and physical potential. Scholarship recipients must be enrolled in a class schedule as recommended by the Directors. Minimum class requirements vary depending on the level and age of the student. They must be exemplary students and respect Springfield Ballet’s policies. For additional information on the scholarship program, please contact the business office or visit the Scholarships page.

411 North Sherman Parkway, Springfield 65802

Our offices and studios are housed within The Creamery Arts Center, a blue/brick building directly west of Hammons Field, which backs up into Jordan Valley Park.

The Creamery Arts Center is a collaborative working space home to several of Springfield’s founding arts and non-profit organizations, including: Springfield Ballet, Springfield Regional Arts Council (SRAC), Springfield Symphony Orchestra (SSO), Ozark Lyric Opera (OLO), Springfield Little Theatre’s Costume and Set Design shops, Care to Learn, and the Springfield Community Center’s office. In addition, numerous organizations use The Creamery’s Board Room, Arts Library, and Exhibition Hall throughout the year. These “common” spaces do not belong to Springfield Ballet. SRAC is in charge of taking formal reservations for the use of these areas.

Springfield Ballet is grateful to be a part of such a creative, innovative space. A major part of our mission is to advance the art of ballet through collaboration. We embrace the fact that when you come to the Creamery, there might be a First Friday art exhibition, poetry competition, and opera rehearsal going on at the same time as your dance class. Where else can you and your child be so immersed in the arts?

For a virtual tour of The Creamery Arts Center and Springfield Ballet’s facilities, click here.
For a detailed look at the history of The Creamery Arts Center and how this space came to be, click here.

The Creamery Arts Center has two areas for parking—the south main lot with 2 handicap spaces and the north lot (behind the building next to the railroad tracks). Additionally, Hammons Field kindly allows Creamery patrons to use the permit lot across the street on non-game days and during the off-season. Parents may also use the loading dock area to drop-off and pick up their child, for no more than 15 minutes. For more information on the parking policies and for suggestions on where to park on game days, refer to the Parking Policies section of the Student/Parent Handbook.

We would be happy to offer a free trial class prior to enrolling your student at Springfield Ballet. In order to schedule your trial class, fill out our Pre-Registration Form. A Springfield Ballet staff member will reach out to you within a few days to set up an appropriate trial class.

Each season Springfield Ballet performs two full-length ballets at the historic Landers Theatre. Each December, Springfield Ballet presents The Nutcracker, and in the spring, a full-length story ballet is presented. Past spring production repertoire includes Beauty & the Beast, Snow White, Cinderella, Alice in Wonderland, The Sleeping Beauty, Peter and the Wolf, Mother Goose and many more. All productions are open to Springfield Ballet students (who meet age requirements) as well as area dancers through open auditions.

For our younger students (CM2 and PB) and elective classes, we offer the opportunity to perform in our annual School Showcase at the end of the school year.  This performance is held at a local theater and is a fun way to begin the performance experience or gain more performance experience in different dance styles. 

A collaboration of this scale offers a unique experience for participants, allowing different ages and levels to come together and work as a company. All rehearsals are held outside of precious classroom time, so dancers can focus on improving and developing the skills required for productions in the classroom. Then, the dancer can focus on learning and improving upon the production work in the separately scheduled rehearsals. Through the production process, dancers develop a strong sense of confidence, discipline and self-motivation. Through their exposure to the arts, dancers learn rewarding life skills such as problem solving, memorization, and social interaction.

In addition to the two full-length productions, Springfield Ballet’s mission to bringing arts to the community is highlighted in performances at ArtsFest and Cider Days and other community events throughout the year. Additionally, we present several lecture-demonstrations at Springfield Public Schools, as well as community performances through collaboration with various arts organizations and local non-profits. All of these offer students additional performance opportunities.

Finally, students are given the opportunity to develop their creative and choreographic ideas through the annual Young Choreographers Showcase, offering students in Ballet 3 and up the chance to produce their own in-studio performance. With the guidance of faculty members, participants discover both technical and creative aspects of a performance.

Since Springfield Ballet is a classical ballet school, our main focus on dance training is rooted in classical ballet. Our philosophy is that classical ballet is the basis for many forms of western dance, so we believe that dancers need to have a solid foundation in classical ballet prior to taking other forms of dance. We offer elective classes as a way to supplement and positively support the ballet training of dancers in Ballet 2 and above.

The elective classes we offer on a regular basis are tap (Ballet 1 and up, levels offered 1, 2A, 2B, 3), jazz (Ballet 2 and up, levels offered 1A, 1B, 2A, 2B, 3), modern (Ballet 4 and up, levels offered 1, 2, 3), and stretch & strengthen (level range varies; typically for Ballet 3+).

Modern and jazz dance styles offer many benefits for the dancer who is looking to enhance their ballet training and extend their movement vocabulary. Modern and jazz training will produce versatile dancers who can execute a contemporary work as strongly as a classical ballet piece, which is becoming the standard of most professional dancers and competitive schools across the country. Stretch and Strengthen classes present various exercises to improve a dancer’s core strength and flexibility as well as discuss injury prevention, which will give each dancer the tools for a healthy life. Tap helps develop rhythm, musicality and coordination.  Also, due to the creative and expressive nature of these dance styles, they are also a lot of fun!

Here at Springfield Ballet, students are introduced to different styles of modern technique (such as Graham, Limon, Horton/Ailey, and Cunningham) and are asked to learn the history of some of these modern schools as well as experiment with blending techniques to create a varied class. Jazz, like modern is also a highly adaptable technique, and eludes a single definition; classes are structured to combine both lyrical and modern theatre dance while developing student’s rhythm, dynamics, flexibility and power. With jazz dance featured strongly in the world of musical theatre, students are able to work on varying repertoire, while developing a strong jazz technique. With athletic fundamentals, modern and jazz dance strengthen the dancer and help improve balance, coordination, and many other factors. One of the most important features of these classes is to assure that each student gets to explore his/her own creativity and movement style in a way that is both enjoyable and informative.

In addition to our weekly class schedule, we offer several opportunities to enrich the dancer’s education.

Children’s Series Workshops

Springfield Ballet presents five Children’s Series Workshops each year, two in the fall semester and two in the winter/spring semester. Each workshop engages boys and girls (age 3–8) in an afternoon of fun and culture which focuses on a classic ballet story and includes a craft, story time, dancing, and games. The workshops are great introductions to the art of ballet and serve well to enrich the lives of young students, both dancers and non-dancers. Children should wear comfortable attire (stretch/sweat pants and t-shirt or leotard and tights), bare feet or dance shoes. They will make a craft that coordinates with the ballet, and they will be read a synopsis of the ballet. They will also dance some of the male and female roles to the original compositions, as well as play games and have fun!

Master Classes and Workshops

Springfield Ballet works to secure guest artists to teach master classes each semester. Past guest artists include Ken Braso, Elizabeth Hartwell, Chris Lingner, Richard Nebel, Darrell Hyche, Charlotte Hart, Karen Mareck Grundy, Fernando Rodriguez, Emily Ricca, James Samson, Valery Lantratov, Dillon Davis, Elena Serykh, Mark Carlson, and Claire Andrews. Master classes are geared towards intermediate and advanced dancers, though other levels may be invited to participate as appropriate. Additionally, Springfield Ballet offers opportunities in various workshops throughout the year to gain an introduction to other dance styles and dance-related topics (Irish, Ballet History, Nutrition, Injury Prevention, Pas de Deux, etc.).

Young Choreographers Showcase

With all the wonderful creative minds in our school, Springfield Ballet offers an opportunity for the students to produce a show! Dancers in Ballet 3 and up have a chance to choreograph their own work by participating in our Young Choreographers’ Showcase. Students, with the guidance of workshops and Springfield Ballet faculty mentors, will be able to study and actively practice choreographic elements and showcase their final work in a live performance. We also invite those wishing not to choreograph to participate in this event. From costumes to graphic design to stage management, this fully student produced show is a can’t-miss each year.

Summer Camps and Intensive

During the summer months, we offer various camps and intensives. These are week-long or multi-week programs, offered at all levels, which focus on dance and dance-related topics. The dancers take an extended ballet technique class daily, which covers more material than regular classes. Since the dancers are taking daily technique class, they are able to retain their corrections more easily, allowing them to find a deeper and quicker understanding of them. Additionally, we offer them the opportunity to try different styles of dance as well as give them an education on topics that are helpful in making them well-rounded dancers, such as daily lessons in nutrition, anatomy and physiology, music, drama, choreography, etc. For more information, visit our Summer Programs page.

Springfield Ballet’s dress code is based on classical standards of ballet. Please refer to our Student/Parent Handbook for dress code specifications.

Springfield Ballet’s dress code is designed to encourage unity and discipline among its students. Instructors are aided by the dress code in that they are able to see the body’s form to ensure that the dancer is moving safely and correctly. A dancer should focus on developing technique and artistry without distraction of loose or cumbersome clothing.

Click here for step-by-step instructions. The purpose of a ballet bun is to minimize distraction and for the safety of the dancer during turns. It is required for dancers in Ballet 2 and up to put their hair in a ballet bun (or similarly secured style). Ballet 1 dancers are encouraged to practice having a bun most weeks. Doing a bun can be intimidating at first, but with practice it can be done quickly and securely!

Training on pointe is very individualized. Springfield Ballet dancers are invited to begin training on pointe when they display proper fundamentals, strong foundation, and enough core strength for support. Dancers begin working on strengthening and pre-pointe exercises in Ballet 4, and dancers will typically be invited to train on pointe when they reach the Ballet 5 level.

In order for classes to achieve an optimal learning atmosphere, minimal distraction is required. Parents are invited to observe their child(ren)’s classes during Parent Observation weeks, which are approximately halfway through the semester and the last week of the semester. Video-recording and photography are permitted during observation weeks only. During all other weeks of classes, we have observation windows available to view classes. Please do not take pictures through the observation windows as that can be distracting to the dancers.

Springfield Ballet offers several opportunities for adults to get involved in our programming.

First, we have our Open Adult Ballet & Conditioning class. The class is offered during each semester and is open to ages 16 and up at the beginner to intermediate level. Whether you have never set foot in a ballet class or you took classes when you were younger and would like to rejoin the ballet world, we welcome you into this class! With the class being an open class, participants can attend the class on a drop-in basis with a single class fee or with a class card. For tuition rates, visit our Tuition page.

If an adult wishes, we also will welcome adults into our main division classes. For more information, contact our office.

Additionally, we have performance opportunities for adults! The Nutcracker offers the opportunity to perform as a Party Scene Parent, a Maid and several other adult character roles. Adult roles vary for each spring production. We also welcome experienced adult dancers to audition! As a not-for-profit organization, we have several volunteer and support opportunities throughout the year. Visit our Springfield Ballet Guild page and our Volunteer page for more info.

We are not able to rent our studio space to external groups or individuals at this time.

As a not-for-profit organization, Springfield Ballet depends on volunteers at its performances and special events. Visit the Springfield Ballet Guild page for production volunteer opportunities (costumes, group leaders, concessions, boutique, etc.). To usher at a performance or volunteer at a special event, please visit our Volunteer page for more information.

For other answers on our policies and procedures, please refer to the Parent/Student Handbook.

At Springfield Ballet, our top priority is the health of our dancers. The COVID Procedures are constantly changing and evolving. We will post updates to the policies and procedures on our website.

For other answers on our policies and procedures, please refer to the Parent/Student Handbook.