Pre-Ballet

Ballet Royale's Pre-Ballet program is a professionally developed and comprehensive program drawing on decades of dance and music teaching experience, which offers an incomparable experience for children from walking age through 7 years old.

In these innovative Pre-Ballet classes students are introduced to and develop gross and fine motor skills, strength and flexibility, rhythm, musicality, discipline, body and spacial awareness, balance, posture, coordination, cooperation, working with a partner, creativity, stage directions and patterns, and self-expression. With a comprehensive pre-ballet curriculum, each level builds upon and introduces new ballet steps, vocabulary, and concepts while teaching self expression and imagination through the art of dance.

Beginner Ballet

Youth Ballet (Runs Full School Year) is for students 7 years of age and older. This program follows an eighth-level elementary through advanced intermediate ballet syllabus; the higher levels include Modern (Contemporary) Dance, Preparation for Pointe training, Performance ("Musical Theater") Jazz, an elite Solos/Variations class, and Pointe classes. All levels of Youth Ballet include or incorporate Repertoire training, in which students learn choreography & dances. New Students with prior dance training seeking to enter Youth Ballet I or higher are required to have a personal evaluation by the school faculty before beginning classes, in order to assess their training and abilities. This evaluation is necessary to ensure placement in the most appropriate level.

Intermediate Ballet

Youth Ballet (Runs Full School Year) is for students 7 years of age and older. This program follows a seven-level elementary through advanced intermediate ballet syllabus; the higher levels include Modern (Contemporary) Dance, Preparation for Pointe training, Performance ("Musical Theater") Jazz, an elite Solos/Variations class, and Pointe classes. All levels of Youth Ballet include or incorporate Repertoire training, in which students learn choreography & dances. New Students with prior dance training seeking to enter Youth Ballet 1 or higher are required to have a personal evaluation by the school faculty before beginning classes, in order to assess their training and abilities. This evaluation is necessary to ensure placement in the most appropriate level.

Advanced Ballet

Ballet Royale's Academy Program Advanced levels provide professional Ballet training, and are for students who are talented, ambitious and wish for a rigorous course of study in classical ballet and related dance forms.

Three years of Intermediate Ballet or its equivalent is generally required. 

Students must be pre-approved and invited each year to participate in these levels; students new to Ballet Royale seeking to enter this program must take a placement/evaluation class.  All placement decisions within the Advanced Levels will be made by the school directors and faculty based on the student's individual abilities, not their age.

In a addition to professional Ballet training, Advanced Ballet students will also have classes in Performance Jazz, Modern (Contemporary) dance, Pointe, Repertoire, Pas de Deux ("partnering"), Progressing Ballet Technique®, independent workshops, guest teachers and personal coaching.

Pre-Professional Program

NEW: Ballet Royale’s expansive Pre-Professional Program provides students with an even more rigorous and demanding training schedule, designed and created for students striving towards a professional or post-secondary dance career. Building on the ongoing success of Ballet Royale’s elite Professional Division program, the Pre-Professional program expands these opportunities to students of all classes—not just the highest levels.

Admission and acceptance into the Pre-Professional program is by Audition and Invitation only.

Professional Division

Ballet Royale’s Professional Division is an elite day training program that provides a comprehensive advanced course of study for advanced, talented, and ambitious students. Students accepted in this program have demonstrated commitment and dedication, are at the highest technical and artistic level, and are approaching and preparing for a post-secondary or professional career. Select Professional Division students may be invited to dance as Student Trainees with the professional ballet company, Twin Cities Ballet..

Admission and acceptance into the Professional Division is by Audition and Invitation only.

SUPPLEMENTAL MALE DANCER PROGRAM

Unique in Minnesota, this innovative program is designed specifically for boys.  Ballet Royale understands the importance of providing targeted opportunities for boys in addition to the myriad of mixed classes available to all. To meet these needs, Ballet Royale offers FREE supplemental boys classes for male dancers registered for our Teen, Academy or Pre-Professional Programs.

Ballet Royale’s Boys classes are for students 7 and older, with or without prior dance experience. These classes focus on strength, stamina, conditioning, coordination, focus, and agility in a fun, creative atmosphere. 

Whether the goal is to pursue dance itself or to cross-train for other sports such as hockey, soccer, football, etc., Ballet Royale’s training benefits boys of all ages and abilities.  Dance training and conditioning improves gross motor skills, hand-eye coordination, agility, strength, flexibility, balance, and posture, while increasing self-confidence, motivation, mental focus, and self esteem. 

Such benefits transfer to all life activities, both physical and mental. Research establishes an objective and quantifiable positive relationship between arts education and academic success, not only in overall academic achievement, but particularly in mathematics, creative and critical thinking, problem solving, engagement and persistence, and community and civic engagement. 

This is a great opportunity for the curious, interested, or motivated boy to try one of the most demanding and rewarding athletic activities available, in a safe, focused and structured environment.

Adult & Teen Program

Ballet Royale does not limit its offerings to traditional ballet students.  We offer classes that are open to teens and adults of every level of experience. Our Adult & Teen Program is designed for adults or teens who starting training later than traditional students, teens who wish to have a more flexible class schedule, adults who danced when younger and wish to again enjoy the benefits and joy of ballet, or even professionals or teachers looking for extra classes.

Our Adult Beginner and Teen Beginner classes are designed for teens and adults with no or very limited previous ballet experience and Adult & Teen Intermediate and Advanced classes are geared toward the intermediate or advanced level dancer with prior ballet experience.

Our Adult & Teen Progressing Ballet Technique® class is an innovative body-conditioning and strengthening program suitable for dancers of all abilities.

If you are new to Ballet Royale and not sure what level you should sign up for, take an evaluation and one of our amazing faculty will help you!

Additionally, recognizing that some teens and adults often require more flexible training options, we offer Adult and Teen Hourly Class Cards which can be purchased through our online store.

Downtown Dance at LAAC

Ballet Royale’s “Downtown Dance” At the Lakeville Area Arts Center

Ballet Royale Minnesota is excited to announce a new space for our Pre-Ballet Classes in collaboration with the LAAC! Classes will be coming Winter/Spring 2024.

Try Pre-ballet Mommy/Daddy & Me in a safe, healthy, non-competitive environment—DOWNTOWN at the Lakeville Area Arts Center! These exciting and fun dance classes are taught by Ballet Royale’s professional faculty, and are a great introduction to the beauty and athleticism of dance and theater. 

Contact Us

We would love to hear from you!

For more information or if you have questions, please contact us by e-mail, in person, or by phone, or use the convenient contact form below:

Our Office

16368 Kenrick Avenue
Lakeville, MN, 55044
United States

Our Directors

“Dance is an intrinsic expression of Art, and

Art is integral to high Quality of Life”

~ Rick Vogt

Denise Vogt: Co-Director

A native of England, Denise trained in London under dancers of the Royal Ballet, Sadler's Wells, and Rambert, and holds elementary, intermediate, and advanced Certificates from the Royal Academy of Dance.  Denise danced professionally with the Kiel Capitol Theater Ballet, Osnabrück Contemporary Dance Theater and  State Theater Kassel in Germany. She also danced in the musicals West Side Story, Chicago, and Man of LaMancha.  Denise's teaching career spans three decades, and she has given guest and Master Classes in England, Los Angeles and Germany. Since moving to Minnesota in 1989, Denise has taught throughout the metro area, including the University of Minnesota, the Classical Ballet Academy of Minnesota in Saint Paul, the Saint Paul Public School System, Ballet Arts Minnesota (now The Dance Institute) in Minneapolis, and Minnesota Dance Theatre company. Denise has taught and choreographed locally in the south metro since 1992, and was the Director of the ballet program at Dance Works for 14 years. Denise's students have gone on to study and dance with such prestigious institutions as the San Francisco Ballet, Joffrey Ballet, Julliard, Houston Ballet, Tulsa Ballet Company, the New York Rockettes, Milwaukee Ballet II and American Ballet Theatre.  Denise has choreographed over 60 works, and is currently the Artistic Director of Twin Cities Ballet of Minnesota (formerly Lakeville City Ballet), a non-profit 501(c)(3) dance organization. Widely recognized as one of the premier ballet teachers in Minnesota, Denise is also a winner of the Dakota County Tribune's  "2011 Exceptional Businesswomen Award."

Rick Vogt: Co-Director

Born in St. Paul, Rick first trained and danced with Jo Savino's original Classical Ballet Academy of Minnesota / St. Paul City Ballet.  He studied on scholarship with San Francisco Ballet, Joffrey Ballet and David Howard's in New York, and the University of Utah Ballet Majors Program.  Professionally, Rick was a Soloist and Principal dancer in Germany with the Kiel Capitol Theater Ballet and the State Theater Kassel, and in the U.S. with Nevada Dance Theater, Utah Ballet, and as a guest artist with Ballet Minnesota in St. Paul and Twin Cities Ballet of Minnesota (formerly Lakeville City Ballet).  He has danced principal and solo roles in classics such as Coppelia, Giselle, Romeo and Juliet, Swan Lake, and a myriad of roles in the Nutcracker, and other jazz, rock and contemporary works. He has also danced with Ballet West, The Washington Ballet in D.C., Arizona Dance Theater, and Jazzin' Dance Co., performing works by Choo San Goh, George Balanchine, Jean-Paul Comelin, and Arthur Mitchell.  Rick has danced in the stage musicals West Side Story and Chicago, and in the movie Footloose. For over 20 years Rick has choreographed and taught Ballet, Pas de Deux, Boys Dance & Ballet, and Jazz classes throughout the Twin Cities, including at the Classical Ballet Academy of Minnesota in St. Paul, Dance Works in Lakeville, DeLange Dancers Studios and Ballet Arts Minnesota (now The Dance Institute) in Minneapolis.  Rick is the Associate Artistic Director of Twin Cities Ballet of Minnesota, and has a B.A. in Philosophy and a Law degree from the University of Minnesota.