Our Mission

Our mission is to increase the understanding and influence of classical dance and fine arts in general, by promoting classes, summer intensive programs and performances.

Ballet Program

The focus of our program is the student.  All classes, recitals and activities are aimed towards the technical and artistic development of each student.  Professional artists are often invited to participate in our events, sharing their knowledge and talents to enhance our artistic productions and allow our students to have the experience they need to stay inspired and motivated.

Our Children's Program was developed to provide classes where children get exposure to the art of ballet in a nurturing environment.
​Although classes are structured, creativity is encouraged, while they improve their gross and fine motor skills.  We offer classes for children age 2 and above.

Our Pre Professional Ballet Program is designed for students that desire more hours of practice, more performance opportunities, or want to engage themselves in international ballet competitions.  Children over 10 years of age may enroll in this program, after taking a placement class. 
This ballet program is based on the Vaganova Syllabus, which is the method taught at the Vaganova Academy of Russian Ballet, in St. Petersburg.  This method is nowadays used worldwide by teachers and schools of ballet that commit to high quality ballet education and to the preparation of professional ballet dancers, teachers and choreographers.
Since the pre professional ballet program's classes are focused on the technical and artistic development of our students,  rehearsals for our performances are done in a separate time, free of charge.

Our Adult Ballet Classes are open to beginners, dancers with some ballet experience and advanced level ballet dancers that seek to take classes after experiencing time off dance for any reason.  Ballet technique is taught according to the general needs of the group and expectations vary on an individual basis.
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Classes

In addition to Ballet, we offer Tap, Hip Hop,  Jazz and other classes. These classes are part of our Children's Program and Adult Dance Classes

Performances and Recitals

We have one recital per year, usually during the first weekend of June.
All dance classes of our children's program and pre-professional program participate in the recital.
Student's participation is not mandatory.
We also provide other performance opportunities for students in the pre-professional program during the year.
Click here for recital images.

Summer Program

Our Summer Program includes classes and activities in various types of dance and art, taught by experienced teachers and professional artists.

We enhance our summer by offering with jazz, tap and hip-hop, besides the regular evening classes that are part of our Children´s Program, Pre-Professional Ballet Program and Adult Dance Program. We also offer Advanced Ballet Classes for professional dancers or ballet students with more than 4 years of ballet training at a rate of 4 or more hours per week.

For children ages 6 to 12 we offer a summer intensive (camp) with full day and half day options. Our summer schedule is flexible to accommodate the needs of families that travel during the summer and prefer not to commit to a full summer enrollment.

Our surroundings have beautiful landscaped grounds where our students can enjoy the outside during morning snack, lunch and other outdoor activities.
Indoor classes are stretch, ballet, multicultural dance, dance & art history for children, basic foreign language, world art workshop, world music & songs and multicultural presentations.

Program Director

Luciana Rezende

A former professional ballet dancer, Luciana Rezende studied under tutelage of international respected teachers, as Sulamith Messerer, Elena Kunikova, Martin Putke, Giselle Santoro and Eugenia Feudorova.  After finishing her degree at the University of Brasilia (Brazil), Ms. Rezende came to the US on a full scholarship granted by the Joffrey Ballet School (NY).
As a dancer, she has performed principal roles for several ballet companies in Brazil and in the US.
Ms. Rezende has been teaching classical ballet for over eighteen years in the Champaign-Urbana area, and guesting with dance schools in the Midwest.  As a ballet director, she has staged full-length ballets and conducted ballet classes for students age 2 to adult, levels beginner to professional.
​Ms. Rezende has privately coached students to successfully medal at international ballet competitions.
Luciana Rezende also directs the ballet program for the Montessori School of Champaign-Urbana.

Teachers

TANYA PICARD
​TANYA PICARD is a master teacher and choreographer from the Chicago area.  She began dancing at the age of five, and has studied at Gus Giordano Dance in Chicago; modern at the Martha Graham Dance Center in New York; tap with Bob Audy and Charles “Cookie” Cook in New York, as well as Lane Alexander and Chicago Human Rhythm Project in Chicago; and jazz with dance legend Luigi. She currently teaches workshops in Luigi Technique both locally and elsewhere in the U.S.  Tanya did her graduate work in directing at the University of Minnesota and served as the Artistic Director of Pasticcio Dance Ensemble and Danza, both contemporary companies.  While in Minneapolis, she also worked as a choreographer for the Renaissance Faires in Chicago and Boston, creating the original “Gypsy Dancers.”  Her academic area is dance history, with a particular interest in early 20th century dance.  She was delighted to discover Jennifer Sprowl’s classes in Isadora Duncan technique at the Joffrey Ballet, and has been studying with Jennifer ever since and is active in Duncan Dance Chicago.    Beginning in 2011, Tanya has created unique pieces that fuse text, tap, modern, jazz dance, and music that have been presented at the Spurlock Museum at the University of Illinois.  She is an active participant in Chicago Human Rhythm Project and studies and works with renowned tap dancer Jimmy Payne, Jr., who has created several pieces for Impulse Tap Ensemble.  Her favorite quote is, “To dance, put your hand over your heart and listen to the sound of your soul.”

JADE O'CONNOR
Jade O'Connor has been dancing for 14 years. She began this training with Luciana Rezende and the Christine Rich Dance Studio. Jade has training in ballet,jazz, acrobatics as well as 8 years of tap. Through this she also developed a love for choreographing.
A piece she choreographed was featured in the Dance Chicago Festival twice in 2016.
Jade has won 4 national medals in competitions with NAACP ACT-SO and most recently won the gold and silver medals respectivley in Ballet and Contemporary Dance at the 2019 Afro-Academic Cultural Technological Sci. Olympics.
She is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree as a first year student at the University of Illinois.
She has previous teaching experience through privates preparing soloists for competitions. She hopes to continue to teach after a professional career in dancing and choreographing.
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CHLOE NAGLE
Chloe Nagle is a teacher, choreographer, and performer. She received her MFA in Dance at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in 2018 and a BFA with Honors in Performance and Choreography from the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee in 2015. Nagle has performed her choreography at the Krannert Center for Performing Arts, Danceworks Milwaukee, Milwaukee Summer Series, and BATES Dance Festival Young Choreographer's Showcase. She has performed with Wildspace Dance Company as a performance intern and has worked with choreographers in academic contexts including Charli Brissey, Sara Hook, Deb Loewen, Rebecca Stenn, Keely Garfield, Luc Vanier, Elise Frost, and Ping Chong. She is currently working toward a 200 hour Yoga Teacher certification at Amara Yoga and Arts.
​TIA PRUITT
Tia Pruitt is originally from Chicago, Illinois.  She has trained with Chicago Contemporary Dance Theatre, Chicago Multicultural Dance Center, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, and American Ballet Theatre. She attended Chicago High School for the Arts and currently she is a senior at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign as a dance major on a Pre-Physical Therapy track.  Ms. Pruitt is trained in ballet, pointe , modern , contemporary, Horton , jazz, African dance .
JASMINE O'CONNOR
​Jasmine O’Connor began her dance training at Christine Rich Studio at age of 2.
She has been trained intensively in ballet, jazz, tap and hip hop by teachers with notorious knowledge in dance and professionals in the field. Through this she has developed a love for all dance styles.
She has experience teaching and conducting activities for children of all ages at the Urbana Fine Arts Center Summer Program as well as in various events held by different organizations in Champaign-Urbana.
In 2018 Jasmine attended a master class with hip-hop dancer Comfort Fedoke and was selected to attend a hip-hop convention in New York City.

ALANA BLAIR
Alana Blair started dancing when she was 8 years old. She has been trained in Hip Hop, Lyrical and Musical Theatre.
She cheered varsity for three years at St. Joseph Ogden High School.
She is currently continuing her education at Parkland College, Champaign, Illinois.