Marblehead School Of Ballet 2025 Season Celebrates 54 Years Of Dance

The Marblehead School of Ballet (MSB) will celebrate its 54th anniversary season beginning Tuesday, September 2, 2025, with a robust program of in-studio and online dance classes designed to unite generations through artistic expression. Located at 115 Pleasant Street, MSB has been a cornerstone of dance education in Massachusetts since 1971, offering training in ballet and beyond for children, teens, adults, and seniors.

“Dance enriches all of life,” said Director Paula K. Shiff. “It teaches discipline, grace, self-control, musicality and other qualities that transcend the dance floor and carry over into every profession. At MSB, we learn to dance, and we learn from dance. Teachers pass on their art through a beautiful choreography of legacy, creating an unbroken chain of dancing that flows from grandparents to parents to children.”

That legacy is illustrated by families like the Macombers, three generations of whom have studied at MSB. Grandmother Meechee Macomber first danced at the school, followed by her daughter Coree Dovev, who began ballet classes there in the 1980s. Now Dovev’s daughter Hannah continues the tradition, making dance an enduring part of their family’s life.

For its 2025–26 season, MSB offers classes in ballet, pre-ballet, pointe, variations, modern dance, creative movement, ballroom, Argentine tango, West Coast swing, Latin solo work, and stretch and strength training. The school also tailors lessons for athletes seeking cross-training, as well as individuals recovering from injury, preparing for auditions, or rehearsing for weddings and special events. Instruction is available through private, semi-private, and online sessions in addition to group classes.

The school’s reach extends well beyond Marblehead. Students travel from communities throughout Massachusetts—including Beverly, Boston, Lynn, Ipswich, Salem, Swampscott, and Rockport—as well as from out of state, including Maine, Texas, and Florida. International dancers have come from France and Italy to study at MSB. Alumni of the program have gone on to train or perform with companies such as Eliot Feld, Alvin Ailey, Houston Ballet, Joffrey Ballet, Metropolitan Opera Ballet, Limon Dance Company, and Ballet de Lorraine in France. Others have pursued degrees at institutions including Boston Conservatory, NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, Johns Hopkins University, UNC School of the Arts, and the University of Utah.

The Marblehead School of Ballet operates year-round with open enrollment and drop-in options. Registration is available online at marbleheadschoolofballet.com, by phone at 781-631-6262, or by email at msb@havetodance.com.