Curriculum
The Cantarella School of Dance is known for its outstanding, balanced dance curriculum.
Director Madeline Cantarella Culpo founded the School of Dance in 1955 with the goal of providing personal attention and training for students and professional dancers.
Graduates have gone on to dance with the Albany Berkshire Ballet, Joffrey Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, Jacob’s Pillow, and the Pennsylvania, Idaho, Ohio, Portland, and Washington Ballets.
At the Cantarella 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, Tap, Hip Hop and Lyrical classes are offered to complement 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 throughout the Berkshires and in the Capital Region.
Foundation
The Cantarella School of Dance uses the Cecchetti 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 Juilliard and Jacob’s Pillow.
“Miss Madeline,” who as a Juilliard alum was taught by Miss Craske, continues to develop her students’ techniques through the Cecchetti method.
Cantarella School of Dance is the official school of the Albany Berkshire Ballet.