Classical Ballet Academy

My 6 year old and several of her friends have been taking beginning ballet here for several months now. Previously, my daughter had taken a class with Portland Parks and Rec, and also at one other similarly sized and priced ballet school. I feel that CBA strikes a very nice balance of offering real ballet skills, with a comfortable and enjoyable small studio age-​appropriate feeling. The instructors clearly enjoy the age groups they work with, and I love that the younger classes and performances regularly utilize helpers that are children of a slightly older age. There are specific requirements for what is worn during classes, and strong expectations expressed in terms of regular attendance, but I don’t see that as a problem. One star off for not offering a discount if you want to attend the same class twice a week, and also for some slightly confusing information around the Nutcracker performance. The office staff is very approachable, and I enjoy the waiting area where you can see classes in session. My daughter is very interested in continuing there, and I’m happy to oblige.

I’ve just created an account on Unilocal so that I can counter the review suggesting that Classical Ballet Academy is not for «serious dancers.» Nothing could be further from the truth. My daughter has danced at CBA for eight years, and during that time I’ve seen dozens of dancers grow up in the studio, many of whom are now being recruited by top-​notch colleges and professional trainee programs across the country. It’s simply not true that the instructors are less equipped to teach more advanced dancers. In fact, for the past several years, the studio director, Sarah Rigles, and her teaching staff have brought students to elite ballet and dance competitions, where CBA dancers have received scholarships to colleges and summer intensives and qualified for national finals.
At the same time that elite dancers train for competitions, however, the studio also stages two sets of shows a year, the Nutcracker and a spring show. Unlike at some other studios in the area, the teachers at CBA create roles for every single dancer in the studio who wants to participate, from the smallest Creative Movement class to the most advanced ballet group. Even the littlest dancer has a chance to perform in a beautiful costume on the big stage, while the pre-​professional dancers put on a show of supreme quality that is truly spectacular to behold.
This is what makes CBA special — it’s a family, where everyone has a part to play, dedicates their time and energy, and feels fantastic about their contribution. It’s also a place where tiny dancers have the chance to grow into budding professionals. By all means look at other studios, but don’t be misled by resentful reviews of this wonderful program.

Walkable sub par ballet school if you live in the neighbourhood. Just a way to introduce your young child to ballet. For a serious dancer like my daughter, we moved her to a different ballet school /​studio. She is at The Portland Ballet, where she is getting great, professional, concentrated classical ballet training. All her amazing teachers were soloist, principal dancers around the world.
Oregon has a lot of excellent ballet studios. Look around before committing to Classical Ballet Academy. I would not recommend this school to anyone.
Lot of the older students have quit and moved on for better training. WHY?