DANCERS INVITED TO LEARN POTENTIAL IN SUMMER PROGRAM

If your daughter or son loves to dance, then the Chicago area’s newest pre-professional classical ballet school may have the answer for your child’s summer plans.

A new pre-professional ballet school has opened in the suburbs by two former professional ballet dancers to give children an opportunity to get quality training at an accessible location, without having to travel into Chicago or pay city prices.

Located on Wheaton’s North Side, Alma Dance School’s 2015 Summer Intensive Program runs six weeks, from July 6-Aug. 15, with five levels and a children’s program starting at age 3.

The school features instructors with international professional ballet experience, renowned guest teachers, and a variety of classes including ballet, pointe, pre-pointe, partnering, variations, conditioning, contemporary, jazz, flamenco, acting, character and choreography.

“If you are a serious ballet dancer or would like to move from a recreational studio to explore a more disciplined program, this is a great opportunity for a dancer to see what his or her potential could be,” says Guillermo Leyva, who is co-owner and co-director of Alma Dance School with Vilma Machin.

“Because ballet is the foundation for dance, the summer intensive is also a chance for dancers outside of ballet to strengthen their base,” adds Machin.

Both are award-winning teachers and former professional ballet dancers. They have coached students who have gone on to win such awards as the prestigious Grand Prix Award for the Youth America Grand Prix Competition in New York and have been accepted into such respected ballet programs such as ABT (American Ballet Theater), San Francisco Ballet, Dance West, Boston Ballet, Houston Ballet, Pacific Northwest Ballet, Milwaukee Ballet, Miami City Ballet, Royal Winnipeg Ballet, and the National Ballet of Canada.

Under the guidance of Leyva and Machin, the summer intensive is a great opportunity for students to build a foundation and become better ballet dancers. For more details or to sign up, please contact Alma Dance School at 630-580-9784 or by email at info.almadanceschool@gmail.com.  The school can also be found on social media (Facebook, Twitter and Instagram) at Alma Dance School. The school is located at

246 E. Geneva Rd, Wheaton, IL 60187.