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Ballet Studios Teaching the French School

The French school is the oldest of the classical ballet traditions, rooted in the Paris Opera Ballet and the very origins of codified ballet. It's associated with elegance, clarity, and refinement — fluid épaulement (the carriage of the head and shoulders), quick, articulate footwork, and an unshowy, graceful line prized over overt athletics. Much of ballet's vocabulary is French for a reason. Studios drawing on the French school may do so as a distinct lineage or as an influence within their teaching. If you're drawn to understated elegance and pure classical line, this is its home — though few studios in the US teach it exclusively, so ask how it shapes their classes. The 28 studios below have real evidence of teaching the French school — from the studio's own site or from students' reviews — ranked by rating, with the student mentions shown as proof.

Method labels come from each studio's own website and students' reviews, and studios apply a syllabus to differing degrees. If training in the French school is the reason you're choosing a studio, confirm it with them before you enrol.

All 28 studios teaching the French school, ranked by rating

  1. The Ballet Physique Fitness Studio — Littleton, CO
    5 ★★★★★ 42 reviews Kids & teens Private lessons
  2. bdaconservatory.com — White Plains, NY
    5 ★★★★★ 3 reviews Pointe Kids & teens Private lessons
  3. Bayer Ballet Miramonte — Mountain View, CA
    5 ★★★★★ 1 reviews Free trial Kids & teens
  4. Center for the Arts — Jackson, WY
    4.9 ★★★★★ 256 reviews Kids & teens
  5. Orlando Dance Conservatory — Winter Garden, FL
    4.9 ★★★★★ 52 reviews Pointe Adult classes Kids & teens Private lessons
  6. Ballet des Amériques / Carole Alexis Ballet Theatre — White Plains, NY
    4.9 ★★★★★ 35 reviews Kids & teens Private lessons · 4 student mentions
  7. Richmond Academy of Ballet — North Chesterfield, VA
    4.9 ★★★★★ 34 reviews Pointe Adult classes Kids & teens
  8. Dallas Ballet Center — Dallas, TX
    4.9 ★★★★★ 20 reviews Adult classes Kids & teens

    “The faculty was unbelievable; Paris Opera, NYCB, PNB, ABT, Nevada Dance Theater!”

  9. Pryntsev Classical Ballet Academy — Laguna Hills, CA
    4.9 ★★★★★ 15 reviews Adult classes Kids & teens Private lessons
  10. Eastern Connecticut Ballet — East Lyme, CT
    4.9 ★★★★★ 12 reviews Adult classes Kids & teens
  11. A&A Ballet — Chicago, IL
    4.8 ★★★★★ 68 reviews Pointe Adult classes Kids & teens Private lessons
  12. American Dance Institute Magnolia — Seattle, WA
    4.8 ★★★★★ 37 reviews Free trial Pointe Adult classes Kids & teens
  13. Southern California Ballet — San Diego, CA
    4.8 ★★★★★ 25 reviews Pointe Adult classes Kids & teens
  14. Arizona School of Classical Ballet — Phoenix, AZ
    4.8 ★★★★★ 17 reviews Kids & teens

    “I danced myself since I was a child and later on trained in Colorado with a previous principal from the Paris Opera Ballet, Mr.”

  15. Ballet Academy East — New York, NY
    4.7 ★★★★★ 116 reviews Pointe Adult classes Kids & teens Private lessons
  16. Bayer Ballet Academy School — Mountain View, CA
    4.7 ★★★★★ 44 reviews Free trial Kids & teens
  17. Lesko Ballet Academy — Staten Island, NY
    4.7 ★★★★★ 14 reviews Kids & teens Private lessons
  18. Academy of Ballet Arts — Murrieta, CA
    4.7 ★★★★★ 13 reviews Pointe Kids & teens
  19. San Diego Academy of Ballet & Ballet Theatre — San Diego, CA
    4.6 ★★★★★ 130 reviews Adult classes Kids & teens Private lessons
  20. Milla Dance Fit Studio — Bay Harbor Islands, FL
    4.6 ★★★★★ 37 reviews Free trial Pointe Adult classes Kids & teens

    “(Ive always preferred the Vagonova method ballet or French method personally.”

  21. Ohana Dance — Redondo Beach, CA
    4.6 ★★★★★ 26 reviews Free trial Pointe Adult classes Kids & teens

    “My ballet teacher, Mia, is a former Soloist with The Royal Swedish Ballet, who danced on the Paris Opera and Segerstrom stages - her ballet classes are amazing!”

  22. Ballet Abilene — Abilene, TX
    4.5 ★★★★★ 25 reviews Kids & teens
  23. Cary Ballet Conservatory — Cary, NC
    4.4 ★★★★☆ 62 reviews Pointe Adult classes Kids & teens
  24. French Academie of Ballet — New York, NY
    4.4 ★★★★☆ 14 reviews Kids & teens Private lessons

    “Paris Opera Ballet alumni.”

  25. Naples Ballet & Company, Inc. — Naples, FL
    4.3 ★★★★☆ 23 reviews Adult classes Kids & teens

    “He was principal dancer at Pacific Northwest Ballet, and trained at Paris Opera Ballet.”

  26. National Ballet Academy New York — New York, NY
    4.1 ★★★★☆ 8 reviews Pointe Kids & teens Private lessons
  27. The Ballet Clinic — Scottsdale, AZ
    4 ★★★★☆ 4 reviews Pointe Kids & teens
  28. TCDA - International Ballet Festival — Folsom, CA
    Not enough Google reviews yet

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