Doylestown Ballet School Relocates; Announces Open House

DOYLESTOWN, PA — “Just keep dancing.” That’s the mantra that has served Kathleen Dwyer, owner of Ballet Arts of Bucks County, since beginning her lifelong love for ballet as a four-year-old through a 12-year professional career in ballet companies in Pennsylvania, California, Charleston, and Louisville.

“All I have ever wanted to do is dance ballet,” said Dwyer. “Even after retiring from my professional career, I decided to teach and pass on the ballet tradition to the next generation.”

Five years ago in 2018, Kathleen stepped in as owner and artistic director of Ballet Arts, following the studio’s founder Bridget Ansinn’s 15-year tenure.

Locals would have recognized the ballet studio above the Main Street Marketplace with its “Ballet” signs lining the second-floor windows.

Soon after getting into the rhythms of new ownership, Dwyer faced COVID lock downs and ballet classes held via Zoom from everyone’s living rooms.

“There was a lot of uncertainty in the beginning. It’s tough to teach small children technical ballet movements on a 2D screen, but I knew these children needed to get their bodies and minds moving," said Dwyer.

That instinct and patient approach proved to be a lifeline for parents with kids at home.

Slowly classes resumed after the pandemic and Ballet Arts began to expand.

“It became clear that we needed a larger space to dance in, which set off a year-long search to eventually find the historic property - Tabor Farm - at 601 New Britain Road,” said Kathleen.

Ballet Arts is now occupying an entire floor of Building 100 in a new purpose-built space, offering two studios with unobstructed dance space, professional sprung floors, six-foot tall mirrors, ballet barres, a spacious lobby and dressing room, and ample free parking.

The new home of Ballet Arts of Bucks County.

The new 2023-24 season begins Monday, September 11, and is available for new student registration with classes ranging from Preballet for 3-4 year olds to adult ballet. For more information on classes and registration visit www.balletarts.com.

The public is invited to visit the new space during an open house on Saturday, Sept. 9 and Sunday, Sept. 10 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The open house will feature demonstration classes and free trial classes for ages 3-6 (register in advance at the Link below), door prizes, light refreshments, on-site registration, meet and greet with staff, and on Sunday only, a pop-up dancewear shopping experience with another local favorite, En Arabesque.

More information on the open house is available at: www.balletarts.com/openhouse

Ballet Arts of Doylestown.