Montana Ballet Co

Our Adaptive Dance Program is designed to provide creative movement and introductory ballet instruction for children ages 5 – 12 with Down syndrome. Classes are taught by Montana Ballet Company Faculty, who have attended a training on working with individuals with Down syndrome, in conjunction with Board Certified Physical Therapist, Kelsey Wadsworth, of APRS Physical Therapy, and live Percussionist, Kristopher Olsen.

This fun program will offer students the opportunity to get back in shape and start learning and working on MBC’s Nutcracker choreography .

Open Classes for Level 3 through Intermediate/Advanced & Adults Summer 2025. These classes are a wonderful opportunity for students to continue their classical ballet training during summer. All our summer programs are open to continuing Academy students and new students alike.

Open Classes for Level 1 through Level 2 (ages 9+), Summer 2025. These classes are a wonderful opportunity for students to continue their classical ballet training during summer. All our summer programs are open to continuing Academy students and new students alike.

Open classes for Mini Movers, Pre-Primary & Primary (ages 2-8), Summer 2025: July 7-28, 2025. These classes are a wonderful opportunity for students to continue their classical ballet training during summer. All our summer programs are open to continuing Academy students and new students alike.

Classes in other disciplines, such as Contemporary/Modern, Conditioning, and Progressing Ballet Technique (PBT) may be offered at the Intermediate and Advanced levels.

Pointe and Variations classes are offered and carried through the Advanced Level.

In our Upper Division, students further solidify and strengthen their classical ballet technique through hard work, discipline, and dedication to their practice. Attention is focused on increasing full-body flexibility, leg extensions, core strength, ability to execute multiple repetitions of steps, and overall ability to execute classical ballet in a proper, graceful, and self-assured manner. We continue to nurture artistic expression and creativity. Historical aspects of dance are included during class time, providing dancers with important contextual frameworks. Pointe and Variations classes are offered and carried through the Advanced Level. Classes in other disciplines, such as Contemporary/Modern, Conditioning, and Progressing Ballet Technique (PBT) may be offered at the Intermediate and Advanced levels.

In our Middle Division, we work to develop a strong and healthy classical ballet technique in a nurturing and supportive environment. The primary focus in this Division is to expand upon the young dancer’s love of dance and basic knowledge of ballet vocabulary. Work at the barre is introduced, followed by exercises in the center floor. Attention is placed on increasing the dancer’s ability to execute proper ballet technique – working on proper body alignment, core strength, balance, memorization, and the ability to sequence steps and move through space with agility and grace. Greater emphasis is placed on cultivating student’s creativity and teaching classical ballet terminology in French. Pre-Pointe is introduced in Level, 3 preparing students for pointe work in subsequent levels. Each level builds upon the one prior to ensure proper progression and acquisition of ballet technique necessary for the Upper Division.

Our Pre-primary and Primary classes introduce children to the brilliant world of dance. The focus in this Division is capturing children’s innate joy of moving and instilling a love of dance. Students learn rudimentary ballet vocabulary in French, classroom etiquette, and how to work in a group setting. Goals are to foster creativity while students develop coordination, balance, and rhythm. Props are used to enhance creative movement, body awareness, and understanding of spatial relations. This class is suitable for children who are able to separate from their caregiver for roughly 45 minutes.

Montana Ballet Company’s Annual Dancing Under the Big Sky (DUBS) two-week Summer Dance Intensive is an enriching educational program featuring exceptional guest teachers from across the country and a full curriculum. This year, we are delighted to welcome back guest Lesley Rausch. Our Dancing Under the Big Sky Intensive, with a full and thoughtful curriculum, exemplifies our belief in nurturing the “whole dancer,” mind, body, and spirit. Classes may include: Ballet Technique, Pointe and Pre-Pointe, Variations, Artistry, Pirouette and Allegro Classes, Modern/Contemporary, Repertory, Pilates, Physical Therapy, Nutrition, Musicality, Stage Make-up, Stretch and Strengthen, Progressive Muscle Relaxation and Diaphragmatic Breathing, Managing Performance Anxiety, A Day in the Life of a Professional Dancer.

Based on Montana Ballet Company’s original production, Swan Lake , this program offers dancers ages 4-8 the opportunity to take part in themed classes, choreography, arts & crafts, and an in-studio performance. Come dance with us!

This new program is designed for adult dancers who take their training seriously. Each day is specifically designed to help optimize your training and take your technique to the next level. We are excited to announce that our DUBS guest ballet faculty, Lesley Rausch will be joining us for some classes in this program. Classes may include: Ballet Technique, Character Dance, Variations, Contemporary, Body Conditioning, Pilates, Yoga, Lectures (Dance History, Nutrition and Mindfulness and Deliberate Breathing), Repertoire and final performance – for dancers who would like to perform and participate the full week.

This updated program is a “mini” version of our Dancing Under the Big Sky (DUBS) and is designed specifically for dancers ages 7-11 who are ready to commit to an intensive. Our new standalone schedule will offer students the opportunity to immerse themselves in classes and perform in a final in-studio showing. In addition, we are offering dancers who are interested the opportunity to return and perform again in the Sweet Pea Festival held on August 2, 2025. This two-week intensive is a unique opportunity for dancers to explore a variety of dance forms focusing on technique, artistry, musicality, and expression. Along with ballet technique, dancers may have contemporary, character, mime, injury prevention, nutrition, and body conditioning. This program, led by our outstanding MBC Faculty and with our DUBS guest teachers, exemplifies our belief in nurturing the “whole dancer,” mind, body, and spirit.