Minnesota Ballet Academy
Minnesota Ballet / Minnesota Ballet Academy (inside The Depot, Studio Four), 506 W Michigan St, Duluth, MN 55802
About
Minnesota Ballet Academy offers creative movement, recreational classes, summer camps, and pre-professional training in classical ballet, pointe, jazz, modern dance, tap, and pilates. The program also includes ABLE classes (Adaptive Ballet Lessons for Everyone), ABLE summer camps, and Tiny Toes, a ballet-inspired Mommy and Me style class. Tiny Toes focuses on connection, discovery, and first steps into movement.
• Ages: 3–18 years old
• Schedule: Fall and spring semesters are approximately 15 weeks long, with a winter break over the holidays; the Open Division offers two 15-week semesters during the school year; Fall/Winter Session runs 9/8–1/24; Tiny Toes meets Saturdays at 11am and is offered in 5-week sessions.
Minnesota Ballet Academy is the premier ballet school in the Northland and welcomes students ages 3 and older of all levels and backgrounds, with no prior dance experience necessary. Class sizes are intentionally kept small, and students follow a syllabus that promotes progressive skill development. The Pre-Professional Division is designed to prepare students for a career as a professional dancer, and upon completion of the Pre-Professional program, select students may be invited to apprentice with the Minnesota Ballet company. Primary Division students must be potty trained.
Faculty at Minnesota Ballet Academy are current or former professional dancers. The Academy is under the direction of nationally acclaimed dancer, choreographer, and arts educator Karl von Rabenau. The leadership team includes Karl von Rabenau (Artistic Executive Director), Maude Dornfeld (Finance Manager), Ashley Carter (Office Manager), Katie Kampfhenkel (Production Manager), Jennifer Miller (Ballet Master / Academy Coordinator), and Suzie Baer (ABLE Program Director). ABLE program director and lead instructor Suzie Baer is a retired Minnesota Ballet dancer and completed a master’s degree in dance science and education from the University of Edinburgh.
Minnesota Ballet was established more than 50 years ago and has provided high-quality performances, pre-professional ballet training, and outreach programs for over 55 years. In December 1965, twenty ballet supporters in the Duluth area formed a board of directors establishing the Duluth Civic Ballet.
Minnesota Ballet Academy’s mission is to inspire appreciation of the art of ballet through performance and education. Its stated vision is to make the beauty, joy, and passion of dance accessible to all members of the community, and it advances and celebrates diversity, inclusion, and equity.
Minnesota Ballet Academy has provided adaptive ballet classes to children with disabilities for over 30 years. ABLE SF is geared toward students ages 5 through 18 who require assistance in class or a more sensory friendly environment, and the studio for ABLE SF is easily accessible by chair or with a walking aid. ABLE En Avant is aimed at more experienced movers, ages 8 through adult, who require minimal physical assistance. A student’s family member or aide is always welcome to sit in the studio during ABLE classes to assist. By teacher invitation, ABLE En Avant students may audition for roles in Minnesota Ballet productions such as The Nutcracker, and the ABLE En Avant class performs on stage as part of the School of Minnesota Ballet Spring Showcase. ABLE programming is offered free of charge due to support from the Van Gorden Fund of the Miller-Dwan Foundation, and instructors in ABLE SF are assisted by College of Saint Scholastica physical therapy students.
The Open Division offers classes for dancers ages 14 through adult who are interested in dance for fun and fitness or to supplement training, and no prior dance experience is necessary for Open Division classes. Studio Four is Minnesota Ballet’s dynamic event space, fully equipped as both a dance studio and a 140-seat theater, and it is available to rent to the public for performances, fundraisers, and special events. This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.
Last updated July 25, 2026.
• Ages: 3–18 years old
• Schedule: Fall and spring semesters are approximately 15 weeks long, with a winter break over the holidays; the Open Division offers two 15-week semesters during the school year; Fall/Winter Session runs 9/8–1/24; Tiny Toes meets Saturdays at 11am and is offered in 5-week sessions.
Minnesota Ballet Academy is the premier ballet school in the Northland and welcomes students ages 3 and older of all levels and backgrounds, with no prior dance experience necessary. Class sizes are intentionally kept small, and students follow a syllabus that promotes progressive skill development. The Pre-Professional Division is designed to prepare students for a career as a professional dancer, and upon completion of the Pre-Professional program, select students may be invited to apprentice with the Minnesota Ballet company. Primary Division students must be potty trained.
Faculty at Minnesota Ballet Academy are current or former professional dancers. The Academy is under the direction of nationally acclaimed dancer, choreographer, and arts educator Karl von Rabenau. The leadership team includes Karl von Rabenau (Artistic Executive Director), Maude Dornfeld (Finance Manager), Ashley Carter (Office Manager), Katie Kampfhenkel (Production Manager), Jennifer Miller (Ballet Master / Academy Coordinator), and Suzie Baer (ABLE Program Director). ABLE program director and lead instructor Suzie Baer is a retired Minnesota Ballet dancer and completed a master’s degree in dance science and education from the University of Edinburgh.
Minnesota Ballet was established more than 50 years ago and has provided high-quality performances, pre-professional ballet training, and outreach programs for over 55 years. In December 1965, twenty ballet supporters in the Duluth area formed a board of directors establishing the Duluth Civic Ballet.
Minnesota Ballet Academy’s mission is to inspire appreciation of the art of ballet through performance and education. Its stated vision is to make the beauty, joy, and passion of dance accessible to all members of the community, and it advances and celebrates diversity, inclusion, and equity.
Minnesota Ballet Academy has provided adaptive ballet classes to children with disabilities for over 30 years. ABLE SF is geared toward students ages 5 through 18 who require assistance in class or a more sensory friendly environment, and the studio for ABLE SF is easily accessible by chair or with a walking aid. ABLE En Avant is aimed at more experienced movers, ages 8 through adult, who require minimal physical assistance. A student’s family member or aide is always welcome to sit in the studio during ABLE classes to assist. By teacher invitation, ABLE En Avant students may audition for roles in Minnesota Ballet productions such as The Nutcracker, and the ABLE En Avant class performs on stage as part of the School of Minnesota Ballet Spring Showcase. ABLE programming is offered free of charge due to support from the Van Gorden Fund of the Miller-Dwan Foundation, and instructors in ABLE SF are assisted by College of Saint Scholastica physical therapy students.
The Open Division offers classes for dancers ages 14 through adult who are interested in dance for fun and fitness or to supplement training, and no prior dance experience is necessary for Open Division classes. Studio Four is Minnesota Ballet’s dynamic event space, fully equipped as both a dance studio and a 140-seat theater, and it is available to rent to the public for performances, fundraisers, and special events. This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.
Last updated July 25, 2026.
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