The School of the Albany Berkshire Ballet

25 Monroe St., Suite #210, Albany, NY 12210

Christine Geren, Principal with the Albany Berkshire Ballet, as the Dew Drop in The Nutcracker

Home

The School of the Albany Berkshire Ballet (Albany, NY) and Cantarella School of Dance (Pittsfield, MA) are known for their outstanding balanced dance curriculums. Madeline Cantarella Culpo, Artistic Director of the Albany Berkshire Ballet, founded the School of the Albany Berkshire Ballet in 1955, with the goal of providing personal attention and training to students and professional dancers.  Graduates of the School have gone on to pursue a dance major at prestigious colleges, including Juilliard, and dance with professional companies, including the Albany Berkshire Ballet, Joffrey Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, Jacob’s Pillow, and the Pennsylvania, Ohio, Portland, and Washington Ballets.

For ballet instruction, the School uses methods developed by Enrico Cecchetti, the world-renowned teacher of the Ballet Russes and ballet master of Diaghilev Ballet Russes.  Pavlova, Fokine and Nijinsky were all trained by Master Cecchetti under these methods.  One of his protégés, the English ballerina Margaret Craske, went on to teach at Julliard and Jacob’s Pillow.  “Miss Madeline,” who as a Juilliard graduate was taught by Ms. Craske, continues to develop her students’ techniques through the Cecchetti method.

At the School, the welfare of our young dancers is paramount.  The program provides inspiration and progressive physical development in a professional friendly atmosphere.  Classes are offered at all levels and are held Monday through Saturday.  Modern, Jazz, and Pilates classes are offered to compliment classical ballet training.  Students at the Intermediate and Advanced levels are encouraged to take a minimum of two classes per week; discounted rates apply for those taking multiple classes.

Serious students are encouraged to audition for acceptance into the Academies of the School or the Junior Company of the Albany Berkshire Ballet.  This comprehensive training program for advanced students is designed for those who want to commit more time to the art of dance.  Classes accelerate talented students, exposing them to nationally known teachers in a pre-professional instructional setting.    In addition, both the Academies and the Junior Company perform frequently in the Capital Region throughout the year.  Auditions for the Academies and Junior Company are held in the spring and fall of each year.  Contact the School Administrator for details.

Miss Madeline and her students.