Liv DanceArts
Liv DanceArts, Professional Ballet School, 425 Harbor Blvd., Suite 1 & 3, Belmont, CA 94002
About
Liv DanceArts offers ballet-based training with classes in Ballet, Lyrical, Jazz, HipHop, Contemporary, Technique, Pointe, and Acro. All LDA dancers are required to enroll in ballet, and the program is based in Ballet while also offering a range of classical and contemporary genres. The curriculum supports dancers from beginner through pre-professional levels and specializes in high-quality dance education for students ages 3 and up.
• Ages: 3–18 years old
• Schedule: Registration periods in August, December, and June
Liv DanceArts is a premier, technique-driven dance studio rooted in over 30 years of experience and specializes in high-quality dance education for students ages 3 and up. Class offerings and class sizes are capped, with a focus on technical basics and mastery of foundational skills before advancing levels. The studio maintains a close-knit, nurturing environment where each student is individually known, guided, and inspired, and teachers collaborate and brainstorm on student progress. All instructors have had substantial professional careers as dancers with major companies or as dance educators with large and well established dance programs, and Junior Faculty and Teaching Assistants are trained directly under LDA Faculty in all genres of dance at LDA.
Liv DanceArts was originally founded in 1987 as Professional Ballet School by Dutch National and San Francisco Ballet artists Carmela Peter and Zoltan Peter. In 2010, NYU-trained dance educator Kristen Portner partnered with Professional Ballet School to create an award-winning competitive program and a fully collaborative Jazz and Lyrical curriculum. In 2017, Kristen Portner became Artistic Director of the newly created Liv DanceArts, Professional Ballet School collaboration, and Liv DanceArts is rooted in over 30 years of experience.
The Liv DanceArts mission is “Quality over Quantity,” and the program caps class offerings and class sizes and is 100% committed to maintaining a program that is quality driven. All LDA dancers are required to enroll in ballet, and the program is based in Ballet while offering classes in a range of classical and contemporary genres.
The faculty includes professional-level instructors with degrees in dance performance and pedagogy who have danced with world-renowned companies, taught for high-caliber university and private dance programs in the country, and been recognized by major dance publications. Junior Faculty and Teaching Assistants have all been trained directly under LDA Faculty members and have been trained in all genres of dance at LDA throughout their dancing years.
Liv DanceArts is a National Dance Education Organization member since 2018 and was inducted into the National Honor Society for Dance Arts in 2019. The competitive program LDA Elite has received The ADCC Studio of Excellence Award in 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025; Technical Excellence Awards from every major competitive circuit in California; Grand Champion titles with the Epic Organization in 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025; Highest Scoring Studio of the 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025 regional seasons; and the Star Dance Alliance Power Ranking Award (top scoring studio in the state of California) in 2022, 2023, and 2024.
Parent testimonials describe Liv DanceArts as a place where students have trained for many years, participated in winter and spring performances and competitive seasons, and gone on to highly selective collegiate and pre-professional dance programs, including a BFA Commercial Dance program at Pace University in New York City and a year-round pre-professional ballet program in Los Angeles. Testimonials also note long-term involvement with the school over decades, including former students who danced professionally, then returned as instructors and board members, and now have their own children enrolled in technique and competitive classes at LDA.
Last updated March 19, 2026.
• Ages: 3–18 years old
• Schedule: Registration periods in August, December, and June
Liv DanceArts is a premier, technique-driven dance studio rooted in over 30 years of experience and specializes in high-quality dance education for students ages 3 and up. Class offerings and class sizes are capped, with a focus on technical basics and mastery of foundational skills before advancing levels. The studio maintains a close-knit, nurturing environment where each student is individually known, guided, and inspired, and teachers collaborate and brainstorm on student progress. All instructors have had substantial professional careers as dancers with major companies or as dance educators with large and well established dance programs, and Junior Faculty and Teaching Assistants are trained directly under LDA Faculty in all genres of dance at LDA.
Liv DanceArts was originally founded in 1987 as Professional Ballet School by Dutch National and San Francisco Ballet artists Carmela Peter and Zoltan Peter. In 2010, NYU-trained dance educator Kristen Portner partnered with Professional Ballet School to create an award-winning competitive program and a fully collaborative Jazz and Lyrical curriculum. In 2017, Kristen Portner became Artistic Director of the newly created Liv DanceArts, Professional Ballet School collaboration, and Liv DanceArts is rooted in over 30 years of experience.
The Liv DanceArts mission is “Quality over Quantity,” and the program caps class offerings and class sizes and is 100% committed to maintaining a program that is quality driven. All LDA dancers are required to enroll in ballet, and the program is based in Ballet while offering classes in a range of classical and contemporary genres.
The faculty includes professional-level instructors with degrees in dance performance and pedagogy who have danced with world-renowned companies, taught for high-caliber university and private dance programs in the country, and been recognized by major dance publications. Junior Faculty and Teaching Assistants have all been trained directly under LDA Faculty members and have been trained in all genres of dance at LDA throughout their dancing years.
Liv DanceArts is a National Dance Education Organization member since 2018 and was inducted into the National Honor Society for Dance Arts in 2019. The competitive program LDA Elite has received The ADCC Studio of Excellence Award in 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025; Technical Excellence Awards from every major competitive circuit in California; Grand Champion titles with the Epic Organization in 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025; Highest Scoring Studio of the 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025 regional seasons; and the Star Dance Alliance Power Ranking Award (top scoring studio in the state of California) in 2022, 2023, and 2024.
Parent testimonials describe Liv DanceArts as a place where students have trained for many years, participated in winter and spring performances and competitive seasons, and gone on to highly selective collegiate and pre-professional dance programs, including a BFA Commercial Dance program at Pace University in New York City and a year-round pre-professional ballet program in Los Angeles. Testimonials also note long-term involvement with the school over decades, including former students who danced professionally, then returned as instructors and board members, and now have their own children enrolled in technique and competitive classes at LDA.
Last updated March 19, 2026.
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