Ballet is a physically demanding art form that naturally promotes strength, flexibility, and coordination. But ballet has many other benefits for students, including building self-discipline, focus, self-confidence, artistic expression, social skills, and teamwork. 

There are a wide variety of approaches to ballet training. The five metro Portland ballet academies are each distinctive in their approach. If you have a young aspiring dancer in your life, it’s useful to understand these different approaches when picking a school.

Ballet curricula incorporate teaching methods developed by different choreographers or schools, with the most common are Vaganova (named for Russian dancer Agrippina Vaganova), Balanchine (named for the famed Russian-American choreographer George Balanchine), French (developed centuries ago at what is now Paris Opera Ballet), Cecchetti (named for Italian choreographer Enrico Cecchetti), Bournonville (a Danish ballet training method created by August Bournonville), and the Royal Academy of Dance (developed in the past century at the Royal Ballet Academy in London). Some methods are more codified than others, but they all have nuanced distinctions in technique and artistry and involve differences in hand, finger, leg, and eye placement. (This Masterclass primer gives a good summary of these styles.) Some ballet schools align themselves with one of these methods, but most use a combination of styles.

Ballet provides students with a cross-cultural education through the different approaches to ballet technique, through the national and international dancing experiences of the teachers, and through the history of the dance choreography.

Oregon International Ballet School

Celebrating its 10th anniversary this season, the Oregon International Ballet School (OIBA) was founded in 2015 by Xuan Cheng, former Oregon Ballet Theatre (OBT) Principal Dancer and current Ballet Mistress and Principal Dancer of the Hong Kong Ballet, and her husband Ye Li, award-winning choreographer and a former soloist with OBT and GuangZhou Ballet of China.

During this decade, OIBA has taken a unique place among metro Portland’s advanced ballet training programs. The company is part of a small group of classical ballet training schools in the Portland area that train aspiring ballet dancers through high school or up to the point of joining a company ballet school or being able to dance professionally. These classical ballet training schools are largely about passing on a legacy: of the ballet dance form, but also the training, experience, and skills of its leadership and teachers. 

At its Beaverton studios, the school offers classical ballet training from pre-ballet level dancers (ages 3-4) through advanced levels. Starting with 24 students in 2015, the school has grown and trained dancers that have gone on to schools with renowned company affiliation, such as The School of American Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, The Joffrey Ballet School, OBT School, and more. 

“When we were both dancers at Oregon Ballet Theatre, parents would come up to us after the shows and ask if we taught classes,” explains Xuan Cheng. “Eventually, we did some volunteer work teaching classes around town and came to realize we had something to offer this community, based on our unique dance experiences.”

One of few BIPOC-led dance academies in the region, OIBA works to provide international dance experience to their students through the cross cultural ballet work of both Li and Cheng. The school provides cultural exchange opportunities with students from other countries and participates in worldwide scholarship competitions. 

OIBA says its training is based on the Vaganova Method, combined with the directors’ personal experiences dancing around the world. Russian dancer Agrippina Vaganova created this ballet technique in the twentieth century, which emphasizes flexibility, strength, and endurance. Vaganova Academy in St. Petersburg, one of the most internationally renowned and selective ballet schools, is named after Agrippina Vaganova.

“We have a very structured curriculum based on our Vaganova training and incorporating our own dance experience,” says Ye Li. “But we specially design the classes based on our students.”

Sultanov Ballet Academy

Artur Sultanov, a founder of another of the city’s ballet schools, Sultanov Ballet Academy (SBA) in Beaverton, was born and raised in St. Petersburg and attended Vaganova Academy before his career as a professional dancer. The training at SBA, however, is based more on Artur’s extensive professional experience as both a classical and contemporary ballet dancer, combined with a deep understanding of human anatomy. “This focus allows us to tailor training to each dancer’s body, ensuring not only technical excellence, but also the physical well-being of our students,” says Sultanov.

The Portland Ballet

At The Portland Ballet (TPB), a westside ballet academy located on SW Capitol Highway, the curriculum is derived from Balanchine training. The school was founded by Jim Lane, the Executive Director, with his wife Nancy Davis in 2001. Lane and Davis both studied at the School of American Ballet and went on to careers as principal dancers with the Los Angeles Ballet. Many of the school’s teachers have either attended the School of American Ballet (SAB) that Balanchine founded in New York, or danced in companies that have roots in SAB.

“TPB teachers have a written syllabi designed for each level to ensure that students progress through the program without gaps in their foundation,” explains Lane.

Oregon Ballet Theatre School

Oregon Ballet Theatre School, the only Portland metro ballet school linked with a professional ballet company, has just started implementing a custom curriculum based on the training goals of OBT Artistic Director Dani Rowe, OBT2 Program Director Dominic Walsh, and OBT School Director Katarina Svetlova. Each level of the school has a list of milestones that must be accomplished to move on to the next level. The first two levels of training are based on the Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet curriculum. Starting in level three, the curriculum brings in influences from the Royal Ballet and Paris Opera. 

“Our curriculum emphasizes the importance of training dancers who are adaptable and capable of embodying every style of technique. This approach helps dancers not only broaden their skill sets but also become more versatile, expressive and hirable,” says Svetlova. (For further information, read Martha Ullman West’s OAW profile of Katarina Svetlona and her approach to teaching Agrippina Vaganova’s technique.)

Classical Ballet Academy

On the east side of the city, in new studios located on SE Foster Road, is Classical Ballet Academy (CBA). A large school with 650 students, CBA celebrated its 20th anniversary last year. School Director Sarah Rigles trained in the Vaganova method and went on to dance with the Joffrey Ballet School in New York City. 

“CBA teaches a mixture of Vaganova and Cecchetti styles of ballet, using a ballet syllabus that is unique to our school,” explains Rigles. “We value community, inclusivity, clean technique, strong work ethic, body positivity, and performance opportunities.”

Contemporary dance is crucial

Alongside classical ballet training, these schools teach contemporary and other styles of dance. Learning other styles of dance creates a more well-rounded dancer and is essential for students thinking of pursuing a career in ballet as all professional ballet companies perform contemporary choreography.

“Oregon Ballet Theatre School highlights the growing importance of contemporary dance training in the education of ballet dancers. We emphasize that, in the modern dance world, classical ballet companies increasingly require dancers to be versatile and capable of performing both traditional ballet and contemporary choreography. By integrating contemporary dance into students’ education alongside ballet, we ensure our dancers are well-prepared to meet the diverse demands of professional companies. This dual training approach helps dancers become more adaptable, expanding their skills and enhancing their marketability in the dance industry,” says OBT’s Katarina Svetlova. 

To gain other types of instruction, students often take classes at other studios throughout the city that focus on other styles of dance. 

Portland has a wealth of dance schools that focus on contemporary and other forms of dance, and offer ballet technique classes as foundational for other dance styles. In Portland, NW Dance Project, BodyVox, Polaris Dance Studios, Open Space Studios are some of the most established and well-known dance programs focused on contemporary and other movement art forms. Each of these studios boast a professional company. 

“There are a lot of great dance studios in Portland. I recommend aspiring dancers visit different studios to see what studio culture best fits the dancer’s particular interest and needs,” says Classical Ballet Academy director Sarah Rigles.

Passing on dance experience

All of Portland’s ballet academies that train students to the advanced level are led by former professional ballet dancers. The dance experience of the leadership and teachers is the secret sauce that makes each ballet academy unique. 

Oregon International Ballet School may emphasize Vaganova training, but the school has been shaped by the international dance experience of Ye Li and Xuan Cheng. The couple met as dancers at Guangzhou Ballet of China, and prior to dancing at OBT, they spent a couple of years dancing in Montreal, Quebec, Canada at Les Grands Ballet Canadiens. OIBA’s teaching staff is made up of current and former professional dancers, including longtime former OBT principal dancer, Alison Roper. This provides layers of dance perspective for the students. 

“We aren’t interested in offering a product,” explains Cheng. “We want to share our dance knowledge to help each student progress in their own way to be their very best.”

The teachers at Oregon Ballet Theatre, The Portland Ballet, and Sultanov Academy, too, are largely made up of current and former professional dancers in both classical ballet and contemporary, and these schools often share instructors.

Classical Ballet Academy has a broader range of dance instruction and class offerings, including international and improv, as well as inclusive dance classes for dancers that are neurodivergent.

“Like any classical art form, getting started with a solid foundation is imperative. This is particularly true of ballet since the artist must be able to rise to a high level at a relatively young age,” explains Jim Lane of The Portland Ballet. “There are many factors to consider when looking at ballet instruction, such as the curriculum, the quality of instruction, the school’s reputation, performance opportunities, and the studio environment.”

The magic of performance

The chance to perform onstage often provides the inspiration, the spark, for young dancers working through the slow skills-building process of ballet training.

Students at the Oregon Ballet Theatre School get to audition each year for the children’s roles in The Nutcracker, dancing alongside the company. As part of OBT’s Education and Outreach program, OBT Company Artists and OBT School students perform for youth groups and school classes during the school day as part of a student performance series. They also put on an annual school performance each year.

In ballet schools that aren’t affiliated with a professional company, advanced level dancers in the school get to perform the lead roles and solos, giving them a taste of what it’s like to be a company dancer.

Each season The Portland Ballet stages three major productions: The Holiday Performance (this year Firebird & Petrushka), Spring Concert, and Studio Theatre Performance. Oregon International Ballet Academy, Sultanov Ballet Academy, and Classical Ballet Academy all do their own versions of The Nutcracker, as well as a spring showcase.

Scholarship competitions are another way for students to get performance time, with YAGP being the largest scholarship competition. OIBA, SBA, and CBA all participate in scholarship competitions. Based on these performances, students can receive scholarships for summer programs, schools, and companies internationally. At these events, student dancers from around the U.S. and the world get to know each other.

Performing also allows ballet students to dance works that cross cultures and centuries. 

“We believe art is a bridge between cultures,” says Xuan Cheng “and ballet is a bridge to the world.”

Upcoming ballet academy performances

There are several opportunities this fall to see these schools and their students in action.

• Classical Ballet Academy performs “The Nutcracker” at PSU’s Smith Student Union from December 17-22.
• Oregon Ballet Theatre’s performances of “The Nutcracker” run from December 7-24 at the Keller Auditorium.
• Sultanov Ballet Academy performs “The Nutcracker” on December 14-15 at the Lake Oswego High School Auditorium.
• The Portland Ballet’s performances of “Firebird & Petrushka” take place November 30 and December 1 at Portland State University’s Lincoln Performance Hall.
• Oregon International Ballet Academy had two sold-out Nutcracker performances earlier this month. The 10th Anniversary Spring Show, featuring “Sleeping Beauty” and a World Premiere by Ye Li, is on June 14 & 15, 2025 at the Patricia Reser Center for the Arts (“The Reser”) in Beaverton, showcasing OIBA’s current students and alumni.