American Academy of Ballet

American Academy of Ballet offers ballet and dance classes for all levels and ages, including year-round training in ballet and dance for children and adults. Students can study ballet, pointe, contemporary, hip hop, jazz, lyrical, tap, character, acrobatics, and Broadway dance. All forms of dance are offered, with an emphasis on classical ballet, and ballet classes are based on the Russian syllabus with Balanchine influence.

• Ages: 3–18 years old

The American Academy of Ballet is celebrating 61 years of excellence in dance and is a professional dance studio founded in 1964. The Academy is under the direction of Donatella Oppenheimer and Director Emeritus Maris Battaglia. The Academy has a highly qualified team of teachers, all former professional dancers or trained teachers, and states that it is very important that children receive instruction from professionally qualified teachers. The Academy’s stated goal is to offer the finest possible training under the guidance of a highly qualified faculty, and its philosophy is that “love and guidance can work together in a warm and caring atmosphere to provide positive experiences that will last a lifetime.” More than 150 students from the Academy have gone on to careers in dance companies, television, and on the Broadway stage across the United States, Canada, and Europe. The American Academy of Ballet offers year-round training in ballet and dance for children and adults in Buffalo, NY. Director Emeritus Maris Battaglia states, “In the past 60 years, I have observed how positive reinforcement and love can work together in the classroom to provide experiences that last a lifetime.”

Last updated February 5, 2026.