Budding Ballerina & Ballerino, Ages 2–3

Beginning dancers are given the freedom to create and be themselves while they explore movement, play, and dancing with others. Each week a different fairytale is read, and then reenacted through dance with costumes and props. Parents and caregivers are welcome to participate with the child.

Yoga Rainbow, Ages 2–6

Students study and practice yoga poses fused seamlessly with movement and dancing. We celebrate our aliveness with songs, games and stories. Through breathing, meditation, and deep relaxation, students can wind down and relax.

Parents and caregivers of the youngest yogis are most welcome to join all the fun. Here’s what a couple students had to say about relaxation time, a favorite part of yoga class: A 4-year old girl student, “I felt like I was laying in a hammock”.

NEW! Dance Together with Marcella Marshmella, Ages 2–6

*Come dance with Marcella Marshmella! She loves to make up all kinds of fun-filled, lively dance scenes with the petite dancers! Sometimes we are funny, sometimes we are silly, and sometimes we are very clever! Marcella Marshmella can be wacky, tacky, annoyed, frightened, and comforted too. She can get herself into predicaments, but her caring petite dancers always come to her rescue! Kids understand her through her dancing and pantomime episodes. We dance our way through many adventures together! Costumes provided.

Make-Believe Playhouse, Ages 3–6

*This is the perfect complement to preschool.

Dance & play together, solo, and with your teacher in a uniquely creative Playhouse session for very young dancers! Each week a different fairy tale is read, then danced and reenacted with wonderful costumes, headpieces, and props.

Make-Believe Playhouse Mornings are bookended with Play, Yoga, and Exploration Time for engaging activities. Before and after dance class, children play and explore either Solo, in a Group, or with the teacher.

Playhouse Mornings offer a huge selection of playthings from Puzzles to Dolls, Puppets, Toy Castles, Toy Theaters, Scenery, and also Arts-'n-Crafts to make Pictures, Crowns, Wands, and more! Kids choose their Projects and Activities of Delight!

What a Magical Morning of Fairy Tales, Play, Yoga, Discovery, & Make-Believe!

All costumes and supplies provided.

FALL 2019 Classes AT THESE LOCATIONS:

Click for class schedules, tuition, and registration forms (PDF) 

Make-Believe Playhouse Mornings, Ages 2–6

Children are allowed to express their creativity through dance and play while gently taught ballet. We practice locomotor skills, pre-ballet, and creative movement along with warm-ups and stretches. Each week a different fairytale is read, then danced and reenacted with wonderful costumes, headpieces and props. Everyone gets to dress up and pretend! It is the perfect complement to preschool. Make-Believe Playhouse Mornings are bookended with extra play, yoga, and exploration time for engaging activities either solo or with the teacher.

Fairies & Fantasy, Ages 3–6

Students receive age-appropriate training in pre-ballet, creative movement, and improvisation, with the freedom to improvise and create. Each week a favorite fairytale or classical ballet story is read, and then reenacted through dance with costumes and props. 

NEW! Nature Dancing, Ages 3–6

Calling all Nature Lovers, and
Budding Naturalists!

A classical Modern Dance class integrating nature studies of the Plant & Animal Kingdoms with expressively creative movement studies.

FALL 2019 Classes AT THESE LOCATIONS:

Click for class schedules, tuition, and registration forms (PDF) 

Yoga Rainbow, Ages 3–6

Students study and practice yoga poses fused seamlessly with movement and dancing. We celebrate our aliveness with songs, games and stories. Through breathing, meditation, and deep relaxation, students can wind down and relax. 

Mommies and caregivers are most welcome to join all the fun. Here’s what a couple students had to say about relaxation time, a favorite part of yoga class: “I felt like I went deeper into my mind. I found there was nothing there,” said a 4-year old boy. Another student, a 4-year old girl said, “I felt like I was laying in a hammock”.

Creative Movement/Yoga, Ages 3–6

Students express their creative side with full-bodied movement and physicality. Playfulness and movement discovery are encouraged and supported. Yoga, movement, and dancing rounds out an engaging experience for children, mommies, and caregivers too.

Classical Heroes of the Ballet – all Boys Classes! Ages 5–12

Classical Heroes is a unique all-boys dance program created for ages 5-12 where the fantastical world of superheroes in fairytales, literature, folklore, and our own imaginations collide with the physicality, theatricality, and technical prowess of the male dancer.

Students steadily progress through Levels I, II, & III using creative movement, improvisation, and ballet training as tools to open up new worlds filled with wonder, adventure, creativity, exploration, discovery, curiosity, and wisdom.

My son loves dance, but by age 4, he no longer wanted to be in a room full of girls dressed in pink. Miss Bailay has created a truly wonderful all-boys class that combines imaginative story-telling with formal ballet technique. Every week, I see my son’s face light up with joy as he uses his body to express his imagination. Using costumes and props, the boys dance a story — one week they are wizards and the next week they are princes. They also learn the basics of ballet. The class is rigorous yet playful. I don’t think there’s any class like this for boys anywhere else in New York City! - Nina

Currently no classes scheduled, but possible offerings at this LOCATION upon request:

Click for class schedules, tuition, and registration form (PDF) 

Pre-Ballet, Ages 4–6

Young ballet students are introduced to the basic primer attributes and fundamental skills of pre-ballet with an emphasis on quality of movement. Body, posture, and movement awareness are stressed along with some technical fine points. Graceful movement comes naturally and easily in dancing improvisations. Students are inspired by the refined classicism they see and feel.

Currently no summer classes. Check back in fall AT This LOCATION:

Click for class schedules, tuition, and registration form (PDF) 

The Young Dancer, Ages 5–7

A course based around the great ballet classics and other fun stories, presented in the grand tradition of ballet storytelling. Students dress up and dance the story using newly-learned ballet steps and training, embellished with their own creative impulses.

fall 2019 classes in these locations:

Click for class schedules, tuition, and registration forms (PDF) 

Elementary Ballet, Ages 6–8

Young ballet students are introduced to basic primer attributes, fundamental skills, and elementary elements as precursors for later ballet training with an emphasis on quality of movement. Body, posture, and movement awareness are stressed along with some technical fine points. Graceful movement comes naturally and easily in dancing improvisations. Students are inspired by the refined classicism and discipline of ballet as an expressive art form.

Currently no summer classes. Check back in fall AT This LOCATION:

Click for class schedules, tuition, and registration forms (PDF) 

Classical Young Dancer, Degas’ Dancers, Odyssey of the Ballet Fairies, Ages 7-12, & Beginning Ballet for Teens, Ages 13-17

A beginner/elementary level and creative ballet class in which students learn the basics of ballet, correct posture, steps, and combinations emphasizing quality of movement. Using newly-learned ballet steps, dancers explore their own impulses in improvisation as well as choreography in original creative ballet vignettes.

For Classical Young Dancer, we’ll enjoy the great classical ballet stories in dress-up costumes while co-creating characters, choreography, and scenes in the grand tradition of ballet storytelling.

NEW! Degas’ Dancers, Ages 7—12

For Degas’ Dancers class, elements of visual art, ballet, choreography, costume arts, and drawing are combined and explored in this unique class! Students have the opportunity to create their own personal drawings of choreography for a collection in a beribboned FLIP Book! to keep as a memento! All costume and art supplies provided.

Odyssey of the Ballet Fairies, Ages 7-12

A highly creative intermediate level ballet class in which students learn the basics of ballet & correct posture as well as progressive ballet steps & combinations while focusing on quality of movement. Dancers utilize learned steps and combinations with a touch of mime while rehearsing creative ballet vignettes and original ballets through both choreography and improvisation. The great story ballet classics as well as stories about fairies generate themes for co-creating characters, choreography, and scenes with wonderful costumes and our very own magical prop used especially for this class - a whimsically ornate Fairy Trunk!

Teen Beginning Ballet, Ages 13—17

winter 2020 classes in these locations

Click for class schedules, tuition, and registration forms (PDF) 

Private Lessons & Adult Enrichment Classes

Private Lessons

Private lessons for children, tweens, teens, and adults of all levels are offered throughout the year. Whether you’re returning to ballet from having danced in your youth, or you need to prepare for an audition, or you’d like to improve your stage presence and movement quality for your acting and/or opera career, we will gladly set up a private lesson schedule and location to suit your needs and convenience. Please inquire.

NEW! Adult Ballet & Barre

NEW! Adult Ballet & Barre classes are forming soon! Please inquire, and check back soon!

NEW! Sunrise Stretch/Adult Stretch

Adult Stretch class is presently offered in Washington Hts on Fridays at 6:00pm.

NEW! UWS Sunrise Stretch class for Spring will form soon, so please inquire, and check back soon!
 

spring 2020 classeS IN THESE LOCATIONS:

Click for class schedules, tuition, and registration forms (PDF)

Choreography Circle, Ages 7–13

Students create their very own solo performance in this exciting improvisation class. Dancers draw movement from their own unique creative impulses and then structure them into an individual movement collage, independent of music, and give an informal showing for parents at the end of the process.

Dancer’s Bouquet, Ages 7–14

Building on learned ballet vocabulary, combinations, quality of movement and musicality, students are given progressive technical training supplemented with their own creative improvisation. Ballerinas also begin to learn choreography, and work up to informal showings.

Dancers on Tour, Ages 7 and up

This weekly full ballet class, comprised of barre and center, offers strong technical training within a well-developed proven curriculum and, with added rehearsal time built-in for creativity and dancing, students are very inspired to work intensively and productively. Individual progress is carefully monitored towards the goal of developing a refined, solid, and well-rounded dance student. In the creative component and rehearsal time, dancers prepare exciting repertoire of classical, neoclassical, & contemporary ballet works, and with “pretend passports” we rehearse to “go on tour” to great cities around the world to dance! Each session we present the dances to parents with informal showings. Even the parents pretend they too have traveled to the great cities to see their favorite dancers perform! St. Petersburg, Moscow, Paris, and London are some of the world's great dance centers that we will be talking about!

Handmaidens of the Ballet, Ages 9–13

This intermediate/advanced ballet class will offer strength training, stamina building, and dancing challenges which augment a continuation of careful technique and quality of movement under Miss Bailay’s watchful eye. Exploration through movement improvisation is encouraged. Students will present dances and new ballet works in a variety of choreographic styles ranging from strongly classical, to modern ballet, to neoclassical ballet, drawing from repertoire and original works by Miss Bailay.

Tween Beginning Ballet, Ages 10–12

Experience the beauty of ballet! Stretching, barre, beginning ballet steps, lyrical combinations, traveling steps, and leaps. We will work on becoming a well-rounded ballet dancer with good posture and correct alignment while increasing stamina and flexibility. Come waltz, dance gracefully, and learn a lovely dance which will inspire your Sundays week after week!

Ballet Maidens, Ages 13–16

This intermediate/advanced ballet class will offer strength training, stamina building and dancing challenges which augment a continuation of proper alignment, careful technique, and quality of movement under Miss Bailay’s watchful eye. Exploring, preserving, and releasing one’s own “ballet originality” through improvisation and imagery is very important for students even at this higher level so that they stay connected to that which feeds their imaginations. Students will present dances and new ballet works in a variety of choreographic styles ranging from strongly classical, to modern ballet, to neoclassical ballet, drawing from repertoire and original works by Miss Bailay. They will also be given the opportunity to choreograph their own solo, as well as group dances for the class ensemble.

Teen Beginning Ballet, Ages 13 and up

Experience the beauty of ballet in your own body! Stretching, barre, beginning ballet steps, lyrical combinations, traveling steps, and leaps. We will work on becoming a well-rounded ballet dancer with good posture and correct alignment while increasing stamina and flexibility. Come waltz, dance gracefully, and learn a lovely dance which will inspire your classes week after week! Now you can finally try out ballet for yourself!

Ballet for Teens and Adults, Beginning Level

Experience the beauty of ballet in your own body! Stretching, barre, beginning ballet steps, lyrical combination, traveling steps, and leaps. Come waltz, dance gracefully, and learn a lovely dance which will inspire your summer week after week! Now you can finally try out ballet for yourself!