Von Heidecke's School of The
Chicago Festival Ballet
:: Our School ::

Founded in 1991 to serve as a professional Training Center.

Many select a dance studio by geographical convenience, never bothering to check the credentials of the director or the faculty.

Today there is an athletic science behind the movement of dance and it is imperative to learn its exactness. Various techniques which were superior at the turn of the century are now quite outdated by today's standards. As exemplified through the Olympics, the physical achievements of man have evolved at an accelerated rate over the past half century.

Greatly due to Balanchine's genius, 20th Century ballet technique has reached higher limits as well. The strength of the Russian Vagonava technique, combined with the allegro nature of the lyrical Paris Opera technique, is what is known today as the Balanchine technique.

At the Von Heidecke's school of the Chicago Festival Ballet, professional backgrounds, meticulous attention, and methodical analysis of these principles help to enable serious students to achieve their highest potential.

Von Heidecke's school of the Chicago Festival Ballet has produced professional dancers for Lyric Opera Ballet at Chicago's Civic Opera House and numerous other professional companies.

One former student received her training and first partnering opportunities here before joining New York's American Ballet Theater. She recently was featured in a dancing role in the movie "Center Stage."

Von Heidecke's school of the Chicago Festival Ballet offers students the opportunity of performing in the Annual Summer Workshop at the Rialto Theater in Joliet, IL. The aim of the workshop performance is geared toward demonstrating the students' achievements. The program displays the various academic levels of both technique and pointe classes in each of the school's progressive levels. Upper level students have the rare opportunity of being partnered by professional male dancers in featured works choreographed by Mr. Von Heidecke. Professional lighting design and technical crew add to make this a very special presentation.

Additionally, students have the rare opportunity to audition and perform in a professional touring production of the "Nutcracker." Locally, this high caliber production is presented at the Rialto Square Theater in Joliet and at the College of DuPage in Glen Ellyn. As well as performed locally at the Harris Theater at Millenium Park in Chicago.