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Why The Joffrey Ballet School is a great place for Hi Miss Jo: I just wanted to take a minute to say thank you. At first, I had concerns about the amount of time my children would be in rehearsal for The Nutcracker. I just didn't know if they would be able to handle it without completely melting down (I hope I'm not jinxing myself here). But this past week's rehearsals have been so well orchestrated. You and your teachers have been so incredibly patient with both the children and the parents. I know my two alone can be quite a handful and I can't imagine how challenging putting together this production must be. So thank you so much for all of this.
“Joffrey Ballet School encourages your child to pirouette to the sky” Our daughter is three and a half years old and is currently attending the Baby Ballerinas program at Joffrey Ballet school and enrolled in the Winter- Spring semester. At Joffrey Ballet School, they do not just build dance skills, they build life skills. The Baby Ballerinas program allows our daughter to develop her dance skills at a very early age in a child friendly environment and a carefully thought out program. Our daughter has shown a keen interest in dancing from a very young age. She always danced free style at home; however, she showed a specific interest in Ballet. The program and school not only teaches her classical dance but also gives her the necessary discipline that she needs to develop her dance skills. The class curriculum is not only informative but full of fun. She looks forward to her ballet class each week and is proud to show the new dance steps and sequence learned during class to both family and friends. The Ballet program also encourages family involvement with observation days. Family centered events such as the Annual Halloween Party and Parade, end of year performance allow us to participate in her performances and gives our daughter the confidence she requires to build upon not only her dance skills but also build her morale that will assist her in other walks of life. Joffrey Ballet School builds both her mind and body. Valentine’s Father/ Daughter Day and Grand Parents day allows her father and her grandparents respectively to cherish the beautiful moments in her life and make them feel special. It is a pleasure dealing with Ms. Jillian Peschken in the registration department. Her prompt assistance in all registration matters is greatly appreciated. Her dance instructor, Ms. Jessica Kilpatrick is a very good teacher whose involvement with the students is commendable. She takes her time with each student and gives feedback to parents after every class, makes the children feel very comfortable, and is always available to address parents’ queries. The children’s program director, Ms. Jo Matos is very warm and helpful and always a pleasure to deal with. We are very glad that we chose Joffrey Ballet School, the best and highly reputable ballet school in New York City for our daughter and look forward to continuing our daughter in the program and enroll her younger sibling soon in the “Dance with me” program. Our son's love of dance brought us to the Joffrey Ballet School for the first time this past September. He had taken ballet for 3 years prior to entering JBS, but we were looking for a more professional school for him. Being in the dance business myself (though as a tapper, not a ballerina!), I knew of the Joffrey Ballet's reputation for being a world renowned dance institution. Many of my friends and family thought I was crazy for driving 2 hours each way every week for a one hour ballet class, but I could see the talent and passion in him, and knew that there would be opportunities for him at JBS that he wouldn't get at home. I was not disappointed. In the three months he has been there, I have seen his technique improve drastically. Brandon, too, sees the doors that have been opened for him since coming to JBS. In the beginning he wasn't so sure about taking class outside of his comfortable studio at home. His experience with "Not the Nutcracker" was so positive, though, from the friends he made, to the experience of working with a professional choreographer, to the accolades he received from his performance, that he has grown to love JBS! He was so overwhelmed when he first stepped through the doors in September, because he was a small town little boy from PA in a reputable ballet school in the big city of NYC, but now it The Joffrey Ballet School is an ideal school for my child, as she is surrounded by caring teachers who love the art of dance and who also love children. The school is a serious school where my daughter receives top-notch training that is suited to her age and to her developmental level. I believe that my daughter is a more grounded dancer and person from taking class at the Joffrey Ballet School. She knows how to push herself within her own limits. As a result, I am completely confident that my daughter is in a very safe learning environment, both physically and emotionally. I feel that the teachers inspire my daughter and the other dancers to be the very best that they can be, each and every day. The faculty are working dancers, often with families of their own, who serve as wonderful role models both in the world of dance and beyond, in balancing life demands, just as the students are learning to balance their own academic lives with their passion for dance. My daughter has become a much more intelligent dancer since starting with the Joffrey Ballet School. As a direct result of her training at the Joffrey Ballet School, Samara has now learned a foundational background in dance history, in pilates injury prevention and stretching, and in other dance forms, including jazz and Horton. I believe that the ballet education at the Joffrey Ballet School is the best in the nation, and perhaps the world. It creates and inspires the next generation of thinking dancers who love their craft and themselves. As a parent, who could ask for anything more? We love Joffrey. It all started with a trial class. My 3 year old daughter has been “dancing” since birth, whether in my arms as an infant or on her wobbly legs at 9 months old, her interest in dance was obvious from the beginning. So, not knowing what to expect but knowing we couldn’t go wrong with the world-renowned studio, we enrolled in a Joffrey Ballet School trial class as soon as she was able – and off she went. Turned out, she loved it. So after an amazing two weeks of Summer Camp and this Fall Semester’s class with a few of her friends, we honestly see her starting to bloom. I watched her, unbeknownst to her, one morning while she was participating in class. She couldn’t keep her eyes off herself in the mirror! Spinning, twirling and truly enjoying the moment (even though I’m not sure it was technically her turn). I could picture her doing the same moves on a stage albeit a few years from now! We now are privileged to get impromptu recitals at home with a few stretching sessions in the mix which I can certainly use. Joffrey has instilled in my daughter a definite keen interest and, possibly soon, a true dedication to and affection for dance and movement. I know I can trust that when I leave my daughter in the hands of the instructors, she is learning how to be graceful, how to find an inner peace, and how to discipline herself…even at such a young age. We will certainly continue to explore her interest in dance at the Joffrey Ballet School and look forward to what lies ahead. The Joffrey Ballet School has already given me wonderfully challenging experiences since joining in September. I have already had two opportunities to perform, the first time as part of the Halloween parade. Being able to practice and perform with the trainees really encouraged me to practice even harder so I could dance even better. The trainees were really fun to perform and hangout with, especially because I was able to make some new friends and some are like my best friends. I was so excited that my ballet teacher Mrs. Irene joined Joffrey Ballet School and I am able to train here with her. It was thrilling to tell everyone about being accepted into The Joffrey Ballet School. They were all very impressed that I am now part of one of New York’s premiere ballet schools, knowing I love ballet so much that here I will receive excellent instruction.
For the last two years I performed a community based production of the Nutcracker with a proud graduate of Joffrey Ballet School. She taught me so much about ballet technique, musicality and professional presentation on the stage, which she learned at Joffrey. She was thrilled when I told her I was accepted into her ballet school. I feel I have grown a lot being able to work with a choreographer and all of the different levels of dancers for our winter performance at the Miller Theater. I have met and been encouraged to dance to my personal best and continue to strive to improve by the teachers, trainees, and other students that I have met. Being part of the Joffrey family has encouraged me to explore my potential as a dancer and a girl; I am looking forward to becoming a great dancer with a fabulous dance school family to guide me on my path. I feel like I have a real close family with the students at Joffrey, I even have a really good friendship with some of the boys! They are all really nice even though we love to play around, goof off, annoy each other, and just plain have fun and act like kids! I feel privileged that I am able to learn the fine art of dancing, ballet for now, at one of New York’s premier dance school with such amazing teachers and fine students. I love sharing dance with others and Joffrey is making that dream a reality! I know this is a gift that will help me in every aspect of my life. The Joffrey Ballet School is one of those institutions that you can’t help hearing about living in New York City. Over the years, I have met friends, family, and strangers from all over the world who have fortunately attended or knew someone who attended the Joffrey Ballet School. One of my junior bridesmaids studied at the school as did her younger cousin from Florida who was in the Summer Intensive Program this past summer. When my neighbors ask me where my daughter studies ballet, the conversations usually go something like, “she goes to the Joffrey"…"Ooohhhh!” This is considered a great compliment from native New Yorkers who pride themselves in not being impressed by anything.
As to why we chose this school, well that has to do with the people involved in making this school what it is. After my daughter’s former teacher decided to leave her small studio in Chinatown, we were at a loss. We visited ballet schools but none offered the consideration we received on our first visit to your school. Ms. Jo Matos took the time to speak with me then she sat with my five year old and answered her questions.
By the time she waltzed into Ms. Sabrina’s, Pre Ballet class, she seemed as if she had always been there. It has been more than a year later and she is now in Ms. Jessica’s Foundations I class. I have seen her grow from a cautious observer to an active participant. She asks questions when she isn’t sure, does her best even when things get hard, and she cheers on the other dancers when they need it most. She has made caring friends with staff and students alike.
This kind of attention to the essentials of the people who enter this school is what makes the Joffrey Ballet School unique. The founders understood the importance of nurturing individuals in order to strengthen the diversity of the whole group. After more than fifty years, the organization has gone back to its roots by making the fundamental changes within its program that will help introduce future generations to the joy of dance.
The Joffrey Ballet School is good for our family because of the professional Staff they have in the school. The Staff is dedicated to to their students. They are courteously warm and caring to the students and their parents. The Joffrey Ballet School has the best programs in New York City for childrens and young dancers. Every year they improve with innovating something new into the programs. The Staff makes the children and parents feel part of big family. It's all about the Staff how they professionlly run the Joffrey Ballet School. We arrived for the class into crowded hallways, congested with children and young men and women, many bustling by in point shoes and layers of dance clothing. I predicted the strictness of a ballet class would dull her enthusiasm, and that this one trip to Joffrey would be just that, one trip. Of course, the child could not have been happier when she emerged from her first class, and four years later she loves it just as much.
I love that those young men and women who are always bustling about are working hard to be professionals who will dance for companies all over the world. I mention this to my daughters so they know that they too have this opportunity because of the school they go to, should their desires and discipline be enough. And this professionalism permeates the Joffrey school; the teachers are all professionals who have excelled at dance and been invited to teach. The children learn dance and self-discipline through the teachers’ years of experience, kindness, understanding and enthusiasm.
My children equally admire and respect their teachers, and this is the atmosphere of the school. My girls are young, six and nine, and they love watching the older girls stretching, sewing their ballet shoes, even putting them on! They love to peek into the dance studios where the older dancers are stretching and warming up and, should they be so lucky to catch a door open during a class, watch mesmerized at something they hope some day to accomplish.
The opportunities to perform on stage have also inspired my daughters. The children learn what it takes to put together a performance, they learn the necessity of rehearsals, and are treated as real dancers. They come to Joffrey because they want to be taken seriously as dancers, and that is the atmosphere of the school.
The Joffrey Ballet School is a great place for myself and my children for all of these reasons. And should my daughters some day have other interests that take them away from dancing I know that they will have benefited from Joffrey. They will have learned self-discipline, and they will have witnessed the discipline that it takes to succeed. Most importantly, they will always love dance and have a deeper appreciation for it because of their experiences at Joffrey. I feel Joffrey is a great place for my child because he takes an all boys class and he takes a mixed class with girls and boys, where he feels he belongs, in both classes. Everyone, the teachers, parents and fellow students are friendly and helpful. The teachers help build a great foundation and love of ballet and dance. As my son grows with Joffrey, which I know he will because he already told me he loves Joffrey and wants to stay, I know that he will continue to learn more. With Joffrey's world renowned reputation for cutting edge style in both contemporary and classical ballet my son's love for performing and dance will continue to grow. I am extremely happy that Joffrey has branched out to also have hip-hop as an extra class option. With the director's friendliness and willingness to help out, combined with the apparent teachers love of dance, I am proud that my son dances with Joffrey Ballet. I really like the Joffery because they are always looking to help the students and help them advance. My teachers have been the best. Everything I know is from them. Especially Miss Era, Miss Liz, and Miss Jo they have really blessed me.
One of the reasons why I love ballet is I really like acting, but acting does not apeal to me as much because it seems like you just stand on stage acting a character. The thing I love so much about ballet is that it puts two things together the acting as well as the moving and dancing. Dancing has always appealed to me since I was little, especially dancing to music. The first time I came to ballet, I was nervous and had the same point of view as other people that ballet was a girls' sport. But here I am loving it (my view on ballet has changed) happy to help people learn and learn more myself. I want to challenge myself.
My daughter and I decided that she should audition for The Joffrey Ballet School this past August because of its world renowned reputation, its top notch faculty, emphasis on discipline and attention to technical detail. She has attended other dancing schools from our neighborhood facilities that focused on jazz, lyrical and tap techniques and competition to another well respected ballet school in the city and none have matched experience we have had in our four months at The Joffrey Ballet School. The teachers are some of the best in their field and I have observed how they truly care for their students from the way they greet their students and release them from class. The class sizes are perfect and every student is held to the Joffrey highest standard.
Since starting to dance at Joffrey I have noticed the how discipline and attention to detail that she demonstrates in ballet class has seeped into other aspects of her life (her schoolwork, homework, and organizational skills). She has earned honors during her two marking periods this year while she has been attending the Joffrey.
The performance opportunities the Joffrey Ballet School offers are fabulous. The Christmas show was professionally executed and the ideas and choreography were original and fresh. My family and I thoroughly enjoyed seeing all the Young Dancers perform the Teddy Bear’s picnic. We were very impressed with our daughter’s progress after only four months with the Joffrey. The trainees were phenomenal, everything we would expect from a world renowned dance school like the Joffrey. We look forward to her continued development as a ballet dancer at the Joffrey Ballet School.
Joffrey School of Ballet has finally given us a place where we feel that our daughter can not only grow in her ability to perform, but have the choices with the most Professional Teachers in the industry. When you think of the history and the talent that has come from this World Renowned School and the history within its walls, it sometimes make us as a family pause to think what our daughter has actually achieved. The sense of self worth and personal strength that she has gained at Joffrey, and the confidence that this has given her is just priceless. This does not just come from one person it comes from the total the package that Joffrey Ballet School and your years of professional service has to offer, which is clearly driven based one what we see as the highest standards in the industry. Thank you to everyone for this experience you have give her and the chance to make her dream come true. We look forward to the many years to come. Although our previous school was “sweet” I wanted my daughter to join a school with a real curriculum and experienced teachers. After a little research online I found Joffrey Ballet School. I could tell immediately that this was a serious school with high standards, I could feel the history in the walls when we first walked up the stairs and loved the mix of the teenagers and the adults and the little dancers all buzzing around. Every teacher she has had in the past five years at Joffrey has been really fantastic, they’ve struck the perfect balance between serious teaching and making the classes fun.She has seen The Nutcracker and Swan Lake at Lincoln Center and at each performance she has been totally riveted. She seems to transport herself onto the stage and talks about being a professional dancer and ballet teacher when she grows up. I know comes from her positive experience and love of the teachers at Joffrey. I feel that she is learning from the very best by studying ballet at Joffrey and plan on keeping her there for many years to come. Christmas season 2010, I took my daughter to the Joffrey School of Ballet's production of The Nutcracker. She was so captivated she declared right then and there that she was going to become a ballerina, and that she would dance in The Nutcracker one day. It has only been a year with your school and not a moment of regret. My daughter is eager to get up Saturday mornings to attend her classes. Week by week, I can see her getting stronger, more limber, and most important – more confident in herself and her ability to achieve her dreams. At home, she is eager to show me what she has learned in class. Even on the playground, her new confidence shines through; she is more social with other children; her balance has improved and she is less timid on equipment. Jade loves her teachers, and I feel confident because each one of them is clearly a seasoned professional with impressive credentials. They are warm, supportive, and extremely positive. The Joffrey School offers her the perfect opportunity to grow in her own individual way, allowing her to explore her creativity while teaching her the fundamental skills she needs. Like a lot of children in today's society, my daughter comes from a single parent home. Finding something that makes her light up and aspire to something greater is one of the most rewarding gifts a parent can receive. I watch my daughter growing continuously, and I know that the Joffrey school will be there for her all through her development, giving her the foundation and the support she needs to keep blooming, growing, and fulfilling her dreams. Joffrey Ballet School is a world renowned school of dance because of the great innovations of Robert Joffrey in combining ballet with modern dance and his unique inclusive perspective. We understand the Joffrey Ballet School's mission is to be dedicated to that tradition in its commitment to passionate, versatile, individualistic and artistic dancers who will be able to collaborate and evolve in a fast changing society and our daughter has exhibited the qualities that Joffrey Ballet School is dedicated to. |
