Curriculum
The Cantarella School of Dance provides exceptional dance training for students of all-levels.
Founded in 1955 by Madeline Cantarella Culpo, Director-Founder and longtime Artistic Director of the Albany Berkshire Ballet, the Cantarella School of Dance has a rich and distinguished history. An alumna of The Juilliard School, Miss Madeline studied ballet with Margaret Craske, Antony Tudor, and Alfredo Corvino, and modern dance with Martha Graham. A nationally recognized educator, she taught throughout the United States, including at Jacob’s Pillow, and received three choreography fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts.
Today, the Cantarella School of Dance proudly continues under the direction of her granddaughter, Destiny Culpo. Having grown up within the walls of the school — training there six days a week and being immersed in its discipline, artistry, and community from a young age — Destiny carries a deep personal connection to its legacy. She honors the strong technical foundation and artistic integrity established by her grandmother while thoughtfully guiding the school into its next generation. With a lifelong understanding of its values and vision, Destiny remains committed to preserving the tradition of excellence that has defined the Cantarella School of Dance for decades, while nurturing and inspiring today’s young dancers.
Graduates of Cantarella have gone on to dance with Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Albany Berkshire Ballet, American Ballet Theatre II, and many regional companies.
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.