About
Santiam Ballet Academy offers a range of dance and movement classes, including Baby Ballet, Pre-Ballet, Ballet I–V, Pointe, Jazz I, Creative Movement, Mini Hip-Hoppers, Hip-hop, Youth Sports Agility, Musical Theater, Tumbling, Family Dance, and Adult Dance. Baby Ballet and Pre-Ballet classes teach basic movement through imagination, rhythm, and body awareness, with a focus on balance, arm and leg coordination, and counting skills. Ballet classes teach classical ballet technique at the barre and in the center, focusing on body alignment, arm and head carriage, stretching and strengthening of the legs and feet, and ballet terminology.
Creative Movement uses storytelling through movement, exploring imaginary places, moving to music, counting rhythms, and learning patterns, and it provides a foundation for using the body in creative ways while building skills to grow in dance capabilities. Jazz I includes a warm-up to enhance core strength, balance, and extensions through isolations, rhythmic exercises, and floor stretches, and students study jazz technique and learn to build complex combinations and routines set to fun and trendy music. Hip-hop combines a variety of freestyle movements that include elements of popping, locking, breaking, and jazz, and Mini Hip-Hoppers offers a hip-hop option for younger dancers. Youth Sports Agility focuses on agility drills, balance, and core strength using ladder drills, cone work, reaction games, and bodyweight exercises aimed at building explosive movement and injury prevention, with personalized workout plans sent home.
Musical Theater teaches stage presence, public speaking, self-confidence, memorization, and song and dance improv, and is described as a great introduction to Broadway and theater. Tumbling introduces stretching and tumbling skills such as handstands, forward and backward rolls, handstands to bridge, and cartwheels. Family Dance is for young dancers and their favorite grown-up or grown-ups, focusing on bonding through movement, gentle partner work, and shared dance activities. Adult Dance begins with a ballet-inspired barre warm-up and explores styles including jazz, hip-hop, and lyrical, along with stretching and conditioning to improve flexibility and core strength.
• Ages: 2–18 years old
• Price: Group tuition for Family Dance for up to 2 adults and 2 children is $90 per month, with each additional child added for $20, and families with dancers enrolled in other Santiam Ballet Academy classes qualify for a discounted Family Dance rate of $60.
Santiam Ballet Academy states that its instructors are highly trained and certified, with experience in teaching and performing various styles and disciplines, and that the academy focuses on helping others build strength and confidence. The academy notes that it has been helping Stayton “stay stylish on the dance floor” since opening its doors and is identified as ©2019 by Santiam Ballet Academy.
The leadership team includes Academy Director and Instructor Charlene Vogel; Hip Hop, Tumbling, Jazz, and Youth Agility instructor Carl Massey; Ballet, Lyrical, and Tumbling instructor Anna Vogel; and Musical Theater instructor Aimee Hampton. Charlene earned a bachelor’s degree in Education with a minor in Art and Dance from the University of Oregon, has over 25 years of training in the Vaganova and Cecchetti ballet techniques, has extensive training in athletics, and has competed in track and field at the collegiate level. She is described as passionate about providing a safe place for children to grow and about helping them turn into strong, confident, disciplined, and beautiful young individuals. Carl Massey earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts from Cornish College of the Arts, served as a professor of dance at Western Oregon University, has taught younger children at the YMCA, and was a choreographer and dancer in the Hot Shots tap group featured on America’s Got Talent!. Anna has assisted in teaching for the last 8 years and is taking on teaching and choreography responsibilities for some of the youngest dancers. The program notes that Aimee is excited to share the magic of theater with kids in the community and looks forward to watching them find their confidence in being expressive.
Last updated January 6, 2026.
Creative Movement uses storytelling through movement, exploring imaginary places, moving to music, counting rhythms, and learning patterns, and it provides a foundation for using the body in creative ways while building skills to grow in dance capabilities. Jazz I includes a warm-up to enhance core strength, balance, and extensions through isolations, rhythmic exercises, and floor stretches, and students study jazz technique and learn to build complex combinations and routines set to fun and trendy music. Hip-hop combines a variety of freestyle movements that include elements of popping, locking, breaking, and jazz, and Mini Hip-Hoppers offers a hip-hop option for younger dancers. Youth Sports Agility focuses on agility drills, balance, and core strength using ladder drills, cone work, reaction games, and bodyweight exercises aimed at building explosive movement and injury prevention, with personalized workout plans sent home.
Musical Theater teaches stage presence, public speaking, self-confidence, memorization, and song and dance improv, and is described as a great introduction to Broadway and theater. Tumbling introduces stretching and tumbling skills such as handstands, forward and backward rolls, handstands to bridge, and cartwheels. Family Dance is for young dancers and their favorite grown-up or grown-ups, focusing on bonding through movement, gentle partner work, and shared dance activities. Adult Dance begins with a ballet-inspired barre warm-up and explores styles including jazz, hip-hop, and lyrical, along with stretching and conditioning to improve flexibility and core strength.
• Ages: 2–18 years old
• Price: Group tuition for Family Dance for up to 2 adults and 2 children is $90 per month, with each additional child added for $20, and families with dancers enrolled in other Santiam Ballet Academy classes qualify for a discounted Family Dance rate of $60.
Santiam Ballet Academy states that its instructors are highly trained and certified, with experience in teaching and performing various styles and disciplines, and that the academy focuses on helping others build strength and confidence. The academy notes that it has been helping Stayton “stay stylish on the dance floor” since opening its doors and is identified as ©2019 by Santiam Ballet Academy.
The leadership team includes Academy Director and Instructor Charlene Vogel; Hip Hop, Tumbling, Jazz, and Youth Agility instructor Carl Massey; Ballet, Lyrical, and Tumbling instructor Anna Vogel; and Musical Theater instructor Aimee Hampton. Charlene earned a bachelor’s degree in Education with a minor in Art and Dance from the University of Oregon, has over 25 years of training in the Vaganova and Cecchetti ballet techniques, has extensive training in athletics, and has competed in track and field at the collegiate level. She is described as passionate about providing a safe place for children to grow and about helping them turn into strong, confident, disciplined, and beautiful young individuals. Carl Massey earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts from Cornish College of the Arts, served as a professor of dance at Western Oregon University, has taught younger children at the YMCA, and was a choreographer and dancer in the Hot Shots tap group featured on America’s Got Talent!. Anna has assisted in teaching for the last 8 years and is taking on teaching and choreography responsibilities for some of the youngest dancers. The program notes that Aimee is excited to share the magic of theater with kids in the community and looks forward to watching them find their confidence in being expressive.
Last updated January 6, 2026.
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