Milwaukee Ballet School & Academy Celebrates 50 Years

Milwaukee Ballet School & Academy (MBSA) will recognize its 50^th anniversary during the 2025/26 School Year. Founded in 1975, this cornerstone institution of dance education in Milwaukee will commemorate its longevity by engaging alumni, current students, and faculty in special social media content, various exclusive events, and giveback opportunities throughout the next nine months.

“This is a tremendous and exciting milestone for our organization, which has meant so much to so many,” says School Director Kristin Dimmer. “Our steadfast presence in Milwaukee is one of many things that sets us apart, and we credit this to our faculty’s consistent passion and the high quality of our training. This combination has allowed us to not only remain strong, but to expand greatly, in the past five decades.”

MBSA now serves over 700 students in three studios—located in Milwaukee’s Historic Third Ward, Fox Point, and Brookfield—through programs that attract talented students and faculty from around the world. Eighteen levels of classes provide students of every interest and skill level the chance to receive an impactful education in dance.

Children as young as two years of age can participate in “Dance Along With Me” introductory classes with their guardian, while advanced students seeking professional careers may study all the way through the Academy levels before acceptance into the prestigious Rolando Yanes Pre-Professional Program, established in 2019. The school also recently expanded its adult Dance & Fitness offerings to better serve adult students of all ages with three levels of ballet, Barre, Pilates, Yoga, and more.

“MBSA sets the standard for dance education not only in Milwaukee, but in the entire Midwest,” says Dimmer. “As the only professional studio school in our region accredited by the National Association of Schools of Dance, we take the rigor of our programs very seriously, equaled only by the nurturing of our students’ confidence, joy, and self-expression.”

MBSA regularly produces students who go on to successful careers in dance, including at its home Company. Current Milwaukee Ballet Leading Artists Lizzie Tripp-Molina and Jennifer Hackbarth did the bulk of their training at MBSA, while Artist Amanda Lewis is the first Pre-Professional graduate to be promoted into the Company. Pre-Professional Program students also frequently join the ranks of the Milwaukee Ballet II (MBII) Second Company, with two graduates joining this season after a record-setting five promotions last year. Of the entire Pre-Professional class of 2025, 16 went on to various Second Companies, collegiate studies, or other dance-related career advancements.

MBSA is proud to cultivate talent that enriches its hometown and sparks worldwide awareness of Milwaukee's vast performing arts scene. It strives to continue providing education in dance and experience for a lifetime for many more decades to come.