Oregon Ballet Academy

My daughter loves going to her dance lessons at the Oregon Ballet Academy. They offer a variety of classes which include ballet, hip hop and Pilate's. They also have a very large boys class which is hard to come by. Their prices are great for their expertise. John Grensback and Megan Murphy were once dancers for well known ballet companies. My daughter has made wonderful friends in just one year. She has got to be in two performances and loves the attention. She loves getting dressed up in very wonderful and frilly costumes for the performances. The ballet academy is a very positive learning environment. I would highly recommend them for families looking for lessons.

Posted 12/09/08 | Report Abuse

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Oregon Ballet Academy is a healthy place for children and a wonderful place for families. John Grensback, the Artistic Director, and Megan Murphy, Co-director, instill a love of fun and hard work in their students and foster a sense of community among families.

Their philosophy and practice of teaching ballet builds positive growth and development in childrens bodies. The world is strewn with girls, and subsequently women, who have been injured by improper ballet instruction. John Grensback has been studying and teaching ballet since his youth when he would lead class for his foster father Eldon Parish, in Chicago. Because John has a deep knowledge of how the dancers body develops over time, he gears his classes to the physical and mental ability of his studentsnever exceeding their capacity. He works to develop core strength in his students. In this way, his classes are free of injury, and the girls in his class maintain a healthy body image.

Oregon Ballet Academy is an organization that is dedicated to the personal development of all students. With support from the Oregon Ballet Foundation (www.oregonballetfoundation.org), John has been able to offer a specialized ballet class for boys, at no charge to the individual.

In addition to his classes, John and Megan produce and direct annual full-length ballet performances around the Christmas season. The performances rotate from year-to-year between the Nutcracker and other works from the classical repertory. The focus of these performances is on the students. Unlike other holiday shows where the students are merely props, all of the major roles in Johns production are danced by students. The adult characters in the shows are played by parents from the school.

The annual Holiday Season performance is a wonderful experience for audience and cast alike. It is one of the few events in the lives of families where both parents and children are colleagues. Both parents and children work toward a common goal, as equals. And, more than instilling a sense of accomplishment in students, the performances are an event that bring together families and the community.

Whether a student seeks a professional career in ballet or just wants to have fun learning the discipline of classical dance, Oregon Ballet Academy is a place that welcomes all. It is a wonderful asset to our community.

Posted 08/12/08 | Report Abuse

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When I was getting ready to put my 3 year old into dance/ballet I called many places. One that I came accross was The Oregon Ballet Academy. I had heard that they were resonably priced, etc. But on my own review of the company I feel they are not resonable, and have found a dance instuctor that is almost 1/4 of that cost, and does not require my daughter to wear expensive costumes either.

Posted 10/28/05 | Report Abuse

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