ABOUT US
THE ACADEMY
Yorba Linda Academy of Ballet is Orange County’s newest Classical Ballet School, specializing in the education and development of Classical Ballet training. We proudly bring lifelong ballet education and formal training to the community and surrounding cities of Yorba Linda.
YLAB provides a high standard of quality Classical Ballet training with an emphasis on caring instruction in a positive and nurturing environment. Yorba Linda Academy of Ballet implements the R.A.D. (Royal Academy of Dancing) Method along with elements of the Balanchine Method, which is most commonly used in all major and prestigious ballet companies throughout the United States. Our focus is on attaining proper alignment and technique, strength, endurance and musicality as well as being educated on the history of the ballet spectrum.
OUR MISSION
Accepting students ages 4 years old to pre-professional, our mission is to instruct dancers who exhibit the desire and discipline to achieve technical and artistic excellence in dance and to inspire and develop a lifelong passion to the ballet art form.
CLASSES
YLAB adheres to a structured syllabus for every level. There are six different levels provided, Beginning Ballet and Ballet 1 through Ballet 5. Pointe instruction is strategically integrated into the technique classes upon approval. Variations classes are periodically offered where the dancer learns choreography and is educated on various ballets and choreographers. A Floor Barre class is periodically offered during technique classes that provide strength, alignment and flexibility for accelerated improvements for the dancer. All YLAB instructors are highly trained and educated in their dance genre to give your dancer proper high-caliber training.
DANCING ON POINTE
Our philosophies of training include injury prevention so that a dancer sustains longevity throughout their training and/or professional dance career. This includes the controversial topic of pointe shoes for very young dancers. There are so many physical factors that play into the decision of placing a young dancer or low intermediate level dancer on pointe or not, as each individual dancer is different from one another. Having 25+ years of teaching experience, YLAB is highly qualified to determine the appropriate time for a dancer to be promoted to working on pointe or possibly in some cases, have a newly enrolled dancer focus on core, ankle and foot strength, alignment and syllabus for a required amount of time before they may participate in a pointe class.
PLACEMENT & EVALUATIONS
A placement evaluation class must be taken to determine the appropriate class level for each student. The Academy Director determines when a student may promote to the next level. Promotions most commonly happen at the end of the training season. During this time a student may or may not be moved up to the next level. A student is generally in a specific level for a year to several years depending upon the individual growth in all aspects of what is required during that phase of training. A student must master all requirements of what is expected of him/her before consideration is taken to advance to the next level.
BALLET EDUCATION
We provide yearly examinations where the student is expected to know all of their class level ballet terms during our Summer Intensive Program. We will also periodically provide students with proper nutrition information as well as assign a small yearly project for all levels to learn and appreciate the ballet art form and its history.