Zenon Youth Program
Zenon Dance Company and School (Hennepin Center for the Arts / The Cowles Center for Dance and the Performing Arts), 528 Hennepin Ave, Ste 430, Minneapolis, MN 55403
About
Zenon Youth Program offers dance classes for children and teens, including a Youth Summer Session and Camp Zenon. The program includes options such as ballet, modern dance, hip hop, tap, barre, and other movement-based classes.
• Ages: 3–14 years old
• Schedule: Youth Summer Session runs June 13 through August 2, with no classes on June 28, July 4, and July 5; Summer Youth Enrollment covers 7 weeks for Saturday classes and 6 weeks for Sunday classes.
• Price: Summer Youth Enrollment is $90–$105 for 7 weeks for Saturday classes and 6 weeks for Sunday classes; Open House discounts through June 8 offer $10 off Youth 10 Class Cards (Code: OH10OFF) and 20% off Summer Youth Enrollment (CODE: OHENROLL); the cost for barre alone is $8.
Zenon Youth Program offers dance classes for movers ages 3–14 years, and each class is designed for a specific age group to develop confidence, explore creatively, and build movement skills in a fun and nurturing environment. All abilities and levels of experience are welcome, and youth classes typically have a specific set age range. Drop-ins and new students are welcome at any time during the session, and students may register via MindBody, purchase a class card at the front desk, or use a Youth Drop-In or Youth 10 Class Card toward class payment. The 10-class card has a one-year expiration date from the time of purchase, with exceptions that may be made for severe injury or illness with a doctor’s note. Spring Session scholarship applications are due Friday, June 12, 2026, and families can learn more about Youth Need-Based Scholarships through the program.
As of January 2023, Zenon Dance School encourages all participants to wear masks, and masks are not required for fully vaccinated participants unless otherwise indicated. Studios are cleaned in partnership with the Cowles Center. All genders are welcome and may use the restroom and dressing room that best fits their gender identity or expression. Rental of Zenon Dance School studios 4A and 4B is managed through the Cowles Center for Dance and Performing Arts.
The program recommends comfortable clothing that allows a full range of movement and lets the instructor see the line of the body, with clean sneakers for hip hop, tap shoes for tap, ballet slippers or socks for ballet, and pointe shoes for pointe class. Jeans, street shoes, and large jewelry are not recommended, and students trying a class like ballet for the first time may take class without shoes before deciding whether to invest in dance shoes. There are showers in all dressing rooms and bathrooms, and students bring their own soap.
Instructors in the Zenon Youth Program include Allyson (Ally) Phillippi, an artist who began her dance career at age five; Allison Rubin Forester, a dancer, choreographer, and teacher of dance and mathematics who holds a Bachelor of Science in mathematics from the University of Illinois–Urbana and has taught and choreographed at the University of Oregon and now teaches junior high math and dance at Clara Barton Open School; Ariel Linnerson, who began ballet training at Minnesota Dance Theatre, holds a BFA in Contemporary Dance from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, and teaches multiple movement forms including ballet, modern, pilates, barre, yoga, and cardio-based classes; and Benjamin Johnson, who danced professionally in ballet for twenty years, has taught ballet, modern, and juggling around the country, and is a licensed and certified massage therapist focusing on injury rehabilitation and the needs of performing artists. The leadership team includes Archive Manager Kristin Howe, School Coordinator Erika Martin, Director Danielle Robinson-Prater, and Development Director Mara Winke.
The mission of Zenon’s youth program states that each class is designed for a specific age group to develop confidence, explore creatively, and build movement skills in a fun and nurturing environment, and that all abilities and levels of experience are welcome. A testimonial from Performance Art Examiner notes, “Your love for and belief in the power of dance was so evident.”
Last updated June 27, 2026.
• Ages: 3–14 years old
• Schedule: Youth Summer Session runs June 13 through August 2, with no classes on June 28, July 4, and July 5; Summer Youth Enrollment covers 7 weeks for Saturday classes and 6 weeks for Sunday classes.
• Price: Summer Youth Enrollment is $90–$105 for 7 weeks for Saturday classes and 6 weeks for Sunday classes; Open House discounts through June 8 offer $10 off Youth 10 Class Cards (Code: OH10OFF) and 20% off Summer Youth Enrollment (CODE: OHENROLL); the cost for barre alone is $8.
Zenon Youth Program offers dance classes for movers ages 3–14 years, and each class is designed for a specific age group to develop confidence, explore creatively, and build movement skills in a fun and nurturing environment. All abilities and levels of experience are welcome, and youth classes typically have a specific set age range. Drop-ins and new students are welcome at any time during the session, and students may register via MindBody, purchase a class card at the front desk, or use a Youth Drop-In or Youth 10 Class Card toward class payment. The 10-class card has a one-year expiration date from the time of purchase, with exceptions that may be made for severe injury or illness with a doctor’s note. Spring Session scholarship applications are due Friday, June 12, 2026, and families can learn more about Youth Need-Based Scholarships through the program.
As of January 2023, Zenon Dance School encourages all participants to wear masks, and masks are not required for fully vaccinated participants unless otherwise indicated. Studios are cleaned in partnership with the Cowles Center. All genders are welcome and may use the restroom and dressing room that best fits their gender identity or expression. Rental of Zenon Dance School studios 4A and 4B is managed through the Cowles Center for Dance and Performing Arts.
The program recommends comfortable clothing that allows a full range of movement and lets the instructor see the line of the body, with clean sneakers for hip hop, tap shoes for tap, ballet slippers or socks for ballet, and pointe shoes for pointe class. Jeans, street shoes, and large jewelry are not recommended, and students trying a class like ballet for the first time may take class without shoes before deciding whether to invest in dance shoes. There are showers in all dressing rooms and bathrooms, and students bring their own soap.
Instructors in the Zenon Youth Program include Allyson (Ally) Phillippi, an artist who began her dance career at age five; Allison Rubin Forester, a dancer, choreographer, and teacher of dance and mathematics who holds a Bachelor of Science in mathematics from the University of Illinois–Urbana and has taught and choreographed at the University of Oregon and now teaches junior high math and dance at Clara Barton Open School; Ariel Linnerson, who began ballet training at Minnesota Dance Theatre, holds a BFA in Contemporary Dance from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, and teaches multiple movement forms including ballet, modern, pilates, barre, yoga, and cardio-based classes; and Benjamin Johnson, who danced professionally in ballet for twenty years, has taught ballet, modern, and juggling around the country, and is a licensed and certified massage therapist focusing on injury rehabilitation and the needs of performing artists. The leadership team includes Archive Manager Kristin Howe, School Coordinator Erika Martin, Director Danielle Robinson-Prater, and Development Director Mara Winke.
The mission of Zenon’s youth program states that each class is designed for a specific age group to develop confidence, explore creatively, and build movement skills in a fun and nurturing environment, and that all abilities and levels of experience are welcome. A testimonial from Performance Art Examiner notes, “Your love for and belief in the power of dance was so evident.”
Last updated June 27, 2026.
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