School of Richmond Ballet Children’s Division Summer Programs
Richmond Ballet, 407 East Canal Street, Richmond, VA 23219
About
School of Richmond Ballet Children’s Division Summer Programs offers Invitation to the Dance, Pre-Primary Ballet, and Primary Ballet classes. Children take ballet classes dancing to live music played by a ballet pianist, dance the School of Richmond Ballet signature ballet syllabus, and learn about the stories, music, costumes, and scenery of story ballets. Students also have chances to observe and meet company dancers, view the company in rehearsal, and see a live performance at the theatre.
• Ages: 4–8 years old
• Schedule: Saturday class options between 9:00am and 1:00pm
• Price: $150.00–$155.00
Invitation to the Dance classes for ages 4 and 5 meet on Saturdays from 9:00–9:50am and 9:50–10:40am. Pre-Primary and Primary Ballet classes for ages 6–8 meet on Saturdays from 10:50–11:50am and 12:00–1:00pm. In Invitation to the Dance, children are introduced to ballet through movement and music with a focus on body awareness, listening skills, and rhythm in a structured, yet imaginative environment. In Pre-Primary and Primary Ballet, students go from the classroom to the theatre, studying costumes, scenic elements, and music of story ballets, then viewing the company in rehearsal and seeing the live performance.
Teachers in these programs were formerly professional dancers. Richmond Ballet is referred to as “The State Ballet of Virginia,” is described by Dance/USA as “a jewel among U.S. dance companies,” and is called “a company to which dance fans everywhere ought to pay attention” by The Washington Post. Richmond Ballet states that it is a premier dance organization championing ballet and beyond and is dedicated to awakening, uplifting, and uniting human spirits through the power of dance, and it makes the joy of dance accessible for all.
Students may bring non-breakable water bottles to class, and food and other beverages are allowed only in designated snack areas, with no gum allowed in the building. For safety, students are asked to wear street clothes and shoes when entering and leaving, and to wear laundered dancewear in good repair, with tights worn under a leotard and no footless or rolled-up tights in ballet classes. Other dance attire such as t-shirts, legwarmers, skirts, and tutus may not be worn during ballet class, and ballet shoes should be neatly sewn, not pinned, and not worn outside. Hair should be neat, with long hair pulled back and secured without large accessories, and jewelry is limited to small earrings at the instructor’s discretion, with no watches, necklaces, or bracelets. Clothing, shoes, and dance bags should be marked with the student’s name and class level, and students are asked not to walk outside in dancewear and to wear a cover-up over dance attire. Free parking is available in the Richmond Ballet lot directly next to the Ballet building at all times, and after 4pm parking is available at no charge in the first two rows in the O lot across from Canal Street and the Ballet building. School of Richmond Ballet dress code attire can be purchased at Ellman’s Dancewear in the Beverly Hills Shopping Center at 8524 Patterson Avenue.
The organization’s leadership team includes Artistic Director Ma Cong; Rehearsal Director Igor Antonov; Artistic Associate and Répétiteur Lauren Fagone; Artistic Operations Coordinator Hannah Mixon; Professional Training Program Director Judy Jacob; School of Richmond Ballet Director Tara Penick; SRB Artistic Associate Anne Sidney Hetherington; Trainee Program Coordinator Deanna Seay; Studio Company & Men’s Program Coordinator Gábor Szigeti; Ensembles Coordinator Cécile Tuzii; SRB Administrative Manager Amanda Brook; SRB Programs Administrator Jamie Eagle; SRB Student and Family Administrator Maren Topp; Executive Director Kathleen Holman; Human Resources Director Tracy Skinner; Executive Assistant to the Artistic Director Donna Lynne Carter; Facilities Administrator Monica Ross; Operations & HR Coordinator Susan Collet; Finance Controller Siera Sass; Production Director Maggie O'Donnell; Technical Director Jason “Blue” Herbert; Master Electrician Christopher Devlin Hill; Audio/Visual Supervisor Dave Watkins; Minds in Motion Director Katherine Smothers; Marketing & Communications Director Carrie Bilek; Box Office Manager Jessie Buford; Public Relations & Content Manager Audrey Fain; Graphic Designer Ashton Clevenger; Box Office Associate Charlie Webb; Giving & Events Coordinator Holly Foster; Director of Advancement Maura Sinnenberg; Director of Major Gifts & Donor Relations Brooke Bates; and Strategic Partnerships Manager Jennifer Chapman.
Last updated July 25, 2026.
• Ages: 4–8 years old
• Schedule: Saturday class options between 9:00am and 1:00pm
• Price: $150.00–$155.00
Invitation to the Dance classes for ages 4 and 5 meet on Saturdays from 9:00–9:50am and 9:50–10:40am. Pre-Primary and Primary Ballet classes for ages 6–8 meet on Saturdays from 10:50–11:50am and 12:00–1:00pm. In Invitation to the Dance, children are introduced to ballet through movement and music with a focus on body awareness, listening skills, and rhythm in a structured, yet imaginative environment. In Pre-Primary and Primary Ballet, students go from the classroom to the theatre, studying costumes, scenic elements, and music of story ballets, then viewing the company in rehearsal and seeing the live performance.
Teachers in these programs were formerly professional dancers. Richmond Ballet is referred to as “The State Ballet of Virginia,” is described by Dance/USA as “a jewel among U.S. dance companies,” and is called “a company to which dance fans everywhere ought to pay attention” by The Washington Post. Richmond Ballet states that it is a premier dance organization championing ballet and beyond and is dedicated to awakening, uplifting, and uniting human spirits through the power of dance, and it makes the joy of dance accessible for all.
Students may bring non-breakable water bottles to class, and food and other beverages are allowed only in designated snack areas, with no gum allowed in the building. For safety, students are asked to wear street clothes and shoes when entering and leaving, and to wear laundered dancewear in good repair, with tights worn under a leotard and no footless or rolled-up tights in ballet classes. Other dance attire such as t-shirts, legwarmers, skirts, and tutus may not be worn during ballet class, and ballet shoes should be neatly sewn, not pinned, and not worn outside. Hair should be neat, with long hair pulled back and secured without large accessories, and jewelry is limited to small earrings at the instructor’s discretion, with no watches, necklaces, or bracelets. Clothing, shoes, and dance bags should be marked with the student’s name and class level, and students are asked not to walk outside in dancewear and to wear a cover-up over dance attire. Free parking is available in the Richmond Ballet lot directly next to the Ballet building at all times, and after 4pm parking is available at no charge in the first two rows in the O lot across from Canal Street and the Ballet building. School of Richmond Ballet dress code attire can be purchased at Ellman’s Dancewear in the Beverly Hills Shopping Center at 8524 Patterson Avenue.
The organization’s leadership team includes Artistic Director Ma Cong; Rehearsal Director Igor Antonov; Artistic Associate and Répétiteur Lauren Fagone; Artistic Operations Coordinator Hannah Mixon; Professional Training Program Director Judy Jacob; School of Richmond Ballet Director Tara Penick; SRB Artistic Associate Anne Sidney Hetherington; Trainee Program Coordinator Deanna Seay; Studio Company & Men’s Program Coordinator Gábor Szigeti; Ensembles Coordinator Cécile Tuzii; SRB Administrative Manager Amanda Brook; SRB Programs Administrator Jamie Eagle; SRB Student and Family Administrator Maren Topp; Executive Director Kathleen Holman; Human Resources Director Tracy Skinner; Executive Assistant to the Artistic Director Donna Lynne Carter; Facilities Administrator Monica Ross; Operations & HR Coordinator Susan Collet; Finance Controller Siera Sass; Production Director Maggie O'Donnell; Technical Director Jason “Blue” Herbert; Master Electrician Christopher Devlin Hill; Audio/Visual Supervisor Dave Watkins; Minds in Motion Director Katherine Smothers; Marketing & Communications Director Carrie Bilek; Box Office Manager Jessie Buford; Public Relations & Content Manager Audrey Fain; Graphic Designer Ashton Clevenger; Box Office Associate Charlie Webb; Giving & Events Coordinator Holly Foster; Director of Advancement Maura Sinnenberg; Director of Major Gifts & Donor Relations Brooke Bates; and Strategic Partnerships Manager Jennifer Chapman.
Last updated July 25, 2026.
Is this your business? There is no cost, but you will be asked to sign up or log in.