Ridgefield School Of Dance Welcomes Carla Körbes To Its Faculty

**News Release Submitted by The Ridgefield School of Dance**

Aug. 28, 2023

The Ridgefield School of Dance is pleased to announce that Carla Körbes, formerly a principal dancer with the Pacific Northwest Ballet, is joining the teaching faculty this fall.

“We are so excited to have Ms. Körbes join the faculty at the Ridgefield School of Dance,” said Artistic Director Jessica Boelts. “Last spring we were honored to have her coach one of our Pre-Professional Division dancers for our production of Swan Lake, and I’m looking forward to having her full time at the school teaching to a wider range of our students, in both age and ability.”

Körbes’ repertory includes numerous ballets by George Balanchine, Jerome Robbins, Christopher Wheeldon, William Forsythe, Alexei Ratmansky, Twyla Tharp, and many more. She also performed in most of ballet’s classical works, including Swan Lake, Giselle, Sleeping Beauty, Coppélia, and Don Quixote. Körbes last performed with Pacific Northwest Ballet in 2015.

“All of our upper level teachers have danced professionally, and with Ms. Körbes’ vast breadth of knowledge and expertise, I believe she will complement the faculty wonderfully,” Boelts added. “Having danced with two major ballet companies, as soloist with New York City Ballet and a principal with Pacific Northwest Ballet, her experience will translate nicely to the classroom, and help guide students looking to take their technique to a higher pre-professional level.”

Born in Brazil, Körbes started her training in ballet at the age of five and was a student at the Ballet Vera Bublitz by age 11. In 1996, her talent caught the eye of Peter Boal, a former principal of the New York Ballet, when he was a guest artist at the school. After dancing with her, he encouraged her to move to New York City and continue her ballet studies at the School of American Ballet, which she did. In 1999, she received the prestigious Mae L. Wien award and was named an apprentice at the New York City Ballet. She earned her spot as a soloist in 2005 and joined the Pacific Northwest Ballet that same year as a soloist. She became a principal dancer there the following year. She also was on staff at the L.A. Dance Project as its associate director before moving to Bloomington, Ind., to become a professor of music in ballet at the renowned Indiana University Jacobs School of Music. Earlier this year, she relocated to Ridgefield and has extensively taught master classes in the area. She is also a certified wellness life coach and runs a wellness program for New York City Ballet dancers.

Körbes enjoys sharing her passion for ballet with students at all levels while encouraging their love for the performing arts.