Charlottesville Ballet Academy

Charlottesville Ballet Academy offers dance education and performance opportunities for young dancers, including programs such as Once Upon A Ballet. The academy is the official training school of Charlottesville Ballet, a professional ballet company and nonprofit organization that also runs CB Moves community programs at no cost. Students at the academy are part of a broader organization that includes outreach programs like Chance To Dance (C2D) for grades K–5, Adaptive Dance, and other free programming for schools, libraries, and the community.

• Ages: 2–18 years old

Charlottesville Ballet was founded in 2007, and Charlottesville Ballet Academy opened in 2011 as a nonprofit center for dance education serving ages 1.5 through adult in all dance genres. The organization’s mission is to elevate the art of dance through wellness, performance, education, and community outreach, with core values that include Well-Being, Inclusivity, Accessibility, and Innovation. Charlottesville Ballet is the only full time professional dance company in the Charlottesville area and presents eclectic mixed-repertory performances, sensory-friendly shows, and an annual holiday production of The Nutcracker, along with programming designed just for children in the Family Series.

Charlottesville Ballet is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that presents performances and events throughout Central Virginia and collaborates with local artists. Its CB Moves community programs are provided at no cost to expand access to dance, including the Movement For Parkinson’s weekly class that is open to anyone without cost and focuses on creating community for people with movement disorders and their care partners, and the Silver Swans program for seniors age 50 and better. Chance To Dance (C2D) partners with local public schools, and Once Upon A Ballet and other free programming are offered for schools, libraries, and the community.

The organization’s leadership team includes Co-Founders/Directors Sara Jansen Clayborne and Emily Mott Hartka, Company Manager Lori Jablonski, Principal of Charlottesville Ballet Academy Heather Rogers, Development Manager Claudia Strawderman, CB Moves Coordinator Kathryn Tokar, Director of Finance Ali Brent, Operations Manager Cordelaine Klyne, and Marketing & Communications Manager Brianna Copeland. Charlottesville Ballet was founded with a mission for dancer wellness, has no rigid physical aesthetic for its dancers, and states that all body types are celebrated.

Last updated January 18, 2026.