Who We Are
Durham School for Ballet & the Performing Arts, LLC (DSBPA) provides curriculum-based classes for students age two through adult who enjoy dancing, as well as for those who wish to train for a professional career in dance. We are proud that all the members of our faculty either currently hold or are actively studying for teaching certifications in their field of expertise.
Our studio is located on the ancestral and unceded territory of the Shakori, Cheraw, Occaneechi, Tuscarora, and Lumbee Peoples. We acknowledge that these Tribes have stewarded this land throughout the generations, and pay our respects to elders both past and present.
Statement of Inclusivity
DSBPA welcomes students of any ethnicity, skin tone, body shape or size, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin or race to all the rights, privileges, programs and activities, generally accorded or made available to all students at the school. Our administration of educational and admissions policies, scholarship programs or any other school-administered programs are applied to all students equally.
Our Philosophy
We believe dance provides young people with lifelong values. We know that not only will dance develop physical fitness, it also teaches social skills, teamwork, spatial awareness, self-discipline, appreciation of the body, self-confidence and fosters creativity.
Early training is key to building the best foundation for dancers, but dance training is not just about training for dance — most dance students will go onto careers in other fields, making the need for high-quality dance instruction seem extraneous. Dance teaches students to visualize ideas creatively and collaboratively; businesses today have to innovate to survive. So we are not only training dancers, we are helping develop our future.
DSBPA constantly looks for opportunities to train students from communities traditionally underrepresented in classical ballet and aerial via national partnerships such as Project Plié, and is seeking local partnerships with underrepresented groups.
Our Training
We do not consider each class at the school to be a separate entity; each class is part of a larger training program.
Students interested in enrolling in Durham School for Ballet & the Performing Arts should be aware that they are enrolling in a program of study and will be asked to meet certain training requirements in order to be promoted. We are training elite athletes who must also be artists. In order to be physically and mentally prepared for the skills required in each discipline, students will have to cross-train in disciplines other than their primary focus, and will have co-requisites in order to complete their training.