THE CHICAGO SCHOOL OF BALLET
Open Enrollment
CLASSES AUGUST 22nd-JUNE 10TH
Our Mission at The Chicago School of Ballet is to provide students of all levels with more than just dance classes, but a unique experience in which our students grow and thrive both mentally and physically as dancers. Classes will include:
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Ballet
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Pointe
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Variations
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Contemporary
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Jazz
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Pilates
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Pre-professional Ballet Program
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Now Registering! Please call the school or drop by to register in person.
About Us
Our mission at The Chicago School of Ballet is to provide students of all levels with more than just dance classes, but a unique experience in which the student can grow both mentally and physically as a dancer. Owner/Director, Steve Norman has assembled a team of some of the finest instructors, all of whom have extensive professional experience teaching and performing in their various styles.
Our Pre-Professional students are among the top in the country, receiving scholarships and placing in such prestigious competitions as Youth American Grand Prix, World Ballet Competition, Carey Rose and more.
Here at The Chicago School of Ballet, we have a passion for the art of dance and for helping others discover their inner dancer.
For more information regarding our program, please contact us at: 630.418.5525
HOURS OF OPERATION
Mon - Fri: 3pm-10pm
Saturday: 10am - 4pm
Sunday: By Appointment
**Private Coaching Available Upon Request**
Meet Our Team
STEVEN NORMAN
OWNER, ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
Steven Norman, formerly of the Chicago Ballet Conservatory, began his classical ballet training at the age of 11 in Elgin Illinois. In 1990 he was awarded full scholarship to train at Houston Ballet Academy. Steve began his professional career in 1992 in the Corpe de ballet at Houston Ballet. In 1995 he was invited by Artistic Director Helgi Thomasson to join the prestigious San Francisco Ballet. He danced numerous soloist roles. Most memorable for him include Hilarion and Pas de Cinq in Tomasson's Giselle, Snow Prince, Lead Russian, Arabian Prince and Spanish in Nutcracker. He toured and performed in cities throughout the world including New York, Los Angeles, Washington DC, London, Paris, Athens, Edinburgh, Reykjavik, Belfast, Nervi, Copenhagen, Madrid, Bilboa and Barcelona.
After retiring from his 13 year career with San Francisco Ballet, he has dedicated his efforts to fulfilling a very specific vision of creating a world-class environment for dancers who desire to pursue the highest level of ballet training.
Joyce Smith
BALLET, POINTE & REPERTOIRE
Joyce Smith began her initial training in classical ballet and pointe with Lisa Boehm and continued studying ballet, pointe and jazz in the Chicagoland area before later training in modern dance (specifically the techniques of Martha Graham and José Limón) while completing her undergraduate degree as a scholarship dance major. She has also studied at the Martha Graham School of Contemporary Dance and has taken master classes and intensives with numerous dance artists such as Randy Duncan, Peter Sparling, Denise Vale, Jan Erkert and former Balanchine ballerina Jillana. With her range of training in both classical and modern dance, Joyce enjoyed dancing for independent choreographers as well as modern based companies and feels fortunate to have had the opportunities to dance the diverse repertory of choreographers that include Paul Taylor, Joel Hall, Claire Porter among many others. While still performing, Joyce spent ten years simultaneously working behind the scenes in arts administration and dance production for organizations that include The Juilliard School Dance Division, Vanderbilt Summer Dance Festival, New York State Summer School of the Arts School of Dance, the American Dance Legacy Institute and Illinois Summer School of the Arts. Joyce has been teaching dance for many years, including eight years as a member of the dance faculty at Vanderbilt University and Harpeth Hall School, where she also served as director for the Upper School Ballet and Modern Dance Companies. In addition to teaching dance, Joyce earned her Pilates Mat certification through New York’s PhysicalMind Institute.
Lauren Baznik
BALLET, POINTE, VARIATIONS
Lauren is from Naperville, Illinois where she trained under Sherry Moray and Irina Starovoitova. After winning first place at Youth America Grand Prix in Chicago, she competed in the final round of Youth America Grand Prix in New York City in 2010. She was awarded two full scholarships; one to the John Cranko Schule in Stuttgart, Germany and also to the Princess Grace Academy in Monte Carlo, Monaco. After attending both schools, she graduated from the Princess Grace Academy. While in Monaco, she danced in galas in both Genoa and Venice, Italy, showcasing both classical repertoire and works from Jean-Christophe Maillot. Immediately upon graduation, she accepted a job with Junior Ballet Zurich in Switzerland. During her first three months with Ballet Zurich, she received a promotion to the main company. In addition, she performed as the soloist in the world premiere of Christian Spuck’s “Solitude.” She toured worldwide with the company performing works from choreographers such as Christian Spuck, Marco Goecke, Martin Schlapfer, Stephan Thoss, Heinz Spoerli, Patrice Bart, and more. Lauren was also given the opportunity to perform in galas throughout Italy performing Odette in Swan Lake and Diana in Diana and Acteon. Lauren competed and was a finalist in the Varna International Ballet Competition in Bulgaria. She was awarded as one of the top fifteen senior dancers in the competition.On her return back to America, she danced a season with the Charlotte Ballet before retiring back to the Chicagoland area. Lauren is thrilled to be on faculty at the Chicago School of Ballet.
Amanda Hickey
JAZZ
Amanda discovered a passion for dance at the age of ten. She began her serious training at Faubourg School of Ballet under Watmora Casey, Tatyana Mazur, and Ernesto Quenedit. She later graduated from Butler University in 2014, where she studied on both academic and talent scholarships earning her BFA with honors in Dance Performance. While at Butler she had the opportunity to spend a month studying abroad in Europe where she trained and performed in Warsaw, Krakow, and St. Petersburg. As a senior, she was asked to choreograph for the study abroad program, exposing her choreography to venues across Eastern Europe . Throughout the years Amanda has had the pleasure of performing as a guest artist for State Street Dance Studio, The Dance Factory, Elan Artists, and The Schaumburg Dance Ensemble to name a few. Upon returning to Chicago after graduation, Amanda joined Nomi Dance Company where she danced for four years. In addition to being a dancer with the company, she has also worked as a choreographer for three of the Nomi's shows, and has set choreography on the Ballet Theatre of Indiana as well. Currently, Amanda is dancing with Giordano Dance Chicago as a Senior Performing Associate. Besides performing, Amanda enjoys teaching and choreographing for studios across the Chicago-land area.
Amara Barnes
CONTEMPORARY
Amara Barnes, from Bartlett, Illinois, started training under the direction with Watmora Casey and Sherry Moray and under their guidance, received scholarships to pursue and train at Lines Ballet School, Ballet Austin, Lou Conte Dance Studio, Gus Giordano Dance, and Orlando Ballet throughout her teenage years. During that time she won first in Contemporary at YAGP and therefore was able to assist Carmen Rostratzen, from Lines Ballet, at the Julliard School in NYC teaching contemporary and choreographing ballet work. In the summer of 2007 she joined the Walt Disney Company in Orlando dancing at Animal Kingdom. She currently dances with Symbiosis Arts, a contemporary ballet company located here in Chicago which tours nationally to NYC, Chicago, Denver and Atlanta. She has danced in DanceChicago, Dance for Life, and received the Audience Award in 2016 through ReverbDance in Braeden Barnes’ “Changes”. Right now, she teaches all around the Chicago area, preparing dancers for a strong knowledge of ballet, jazz and contemporary dance skills, and is finishing her Psychology Doctrine Program at Rush University Medical Center to get a PsyD by May of 2021.