Balletnova is one of the warmest, most nurturing and most supportive studios out there and feels like a home-away-from-home. My daughter has been there for almost 3 years and has loved her teachers. The instructors and staff are knowledgeable, experienced and caring. There is a feeling of community and a healthy dance atmosphere being fostered among the students - both in the regular and pre-professional divisions. Students in the upper divisions love the studio - which says a lot. The choreography of the two yearly pre-pro shows is outstanding: creative, dynamic and gives everyone a chance to shine. The adult classes are fantastic: both engaging and supportive. An absolutely lovely place. read more

I have taken a Beginning ballet class since March 2023, at Ballet Nova. Ballet Nova offers high quality dance instruction to young dancers, and has excellent Adult classes as well. In December Ballet Nova presents The Nutcracker. Adult classes are designed for dancers with different kinds of experience and includes a Recital in June. read more

do not waste your money here, they are unwelcoming, rude, and racists. I'm glad people are speaking up about this place and its nasty office staff. I started taking class in early spring of 2022, and the instructors are decent, but the administration team is unprofessional. They scold adults like children, no respect for anyone who isn't white, seems that way. read more

The adult ballet program is great in terms of variety and accessibility, but needs improvement when it comes to quality of the instruction and attention to the individual. Only one of the four instructors I met participated in the class; most merely gave directions then sat back and watched. Also, classes could be better structured so as to follow a certain learning progression, from basic to advanced, with corresponding levels if instruction along the path. That said, the school has a good vibe and excellent potential. In that respect, I hope my comments are productive. read more

Definitely one of the best adult dance studios in NoVa. I would say the best, but there are a few I haven't been to yet. I assume it has the most studio spaces in NoVa, because it's huge. Ballet Nova offers an impressive variety of adult classes at different times (lunch, evenings, and weekends). There are a number of different teachers, so I've been able to pick my favorites. I've taken adult ballet, hip hop, and dance cardio classes. I'm definitely a beginner, but have been able to take some advanced beginner classes without issue. I found that the instructors dealt with the increased class sizes from Groupons and their ilk surprisingly well. There is no requirement for adults to wear leotards, tutus, or tights, for which I'm sure my fellow students are grateful. It's easy to get to from I-395 (via Seminary). Parking is free. The only downside is that the sign-up and sign-in processes are completely manual and inefficient. If the person in front of you keeps asking questions, you might never get to class. read more

I bought a groupon or livingsocial (can't remember which) punch-card for this dance studio. I have experience with ballet, tap, and modern dance and was also interested in the pilates/stretching class. I was thrilled to be able to take lessons at a lower price before deciding to sign up for a full semester. The punch card was a terrible idea because most classes seemed to build on what was previously learned. Unless I went to 5 consecutive classes, I felt like I missed something taught in the previous class. Perhaps more available drop-in classes would have made this a better idea. Overall I felt unwelcome and awkward using my punch card and never went to all the classes I had purchased. I would love to return and take more ballet classes as the instructors I had were fantastic and the studio space was also great. Parking and location were excellent especially for northern virginia (free lot parking, awesome!) read more

Big, bright, beautiful studios. The ballet classes are run at a consistently high standard (be ready to work, people). Maria Watson has the best theater dance class in the DC area. My only gripe is about the location--I'm Metro-dependent, and public transit options are limited in the area. read more

I love BalletNova! They offer many dance class types like jazz, hiphop and tap. Occasionally, they are on Groupon so its always affordable. The studios are large and a little dated. But that should never deter you. The teachers are fantastic and motivating, never a single bad experience. For an affordable and fun dance learning experience, this is the right place and I would highly recommend. read more

I LOVE this place. I'm a former student of Joffrey ballet school in New York and I have also traveled to many states and countries (r Russia and Canada) for dance and can tell you this is an excellent studio. It's very spacious the teachers along with the students are amazing. You walk in and immediately see pictures of the very talented professional looking students hanging on the walls in large posters. I've taken a few adult ballet classes, Clementine is very good and you can tell by her adult class -whom most are late starters- the class is very solid as a group. I am impressed. read more

BalletNova Center for Dance - Beautiful spacious studio. Young ballerinas in training. - Performing Arts Near Me - Falls Church, Virginia

See all

I am giving Ballet Nova a poor review because I feel like they ripped me off. Details below. My daughter (call her M) took classes at Ballet Nova in the 2010/2011 season. We really had no complaints with the program throughout that season. At the end of that season it was communicated to us by Ballet Nova staff that if we were interested in M continuing with Ballet Nova in the 2011/2012 season we should not delay in sighing her up. The reason given had to do with the popularity of their Nutcracker performance (she was at the age where she could audition for a role). Apparently a delay would run the risk that she get stuck on a waiting list. At the time we had every reason to believe that M would continue with ballet so we signed her up and paid the tuition of $1.5K. As summer progressed we became concerned we made a mistake. It gradually became clear we had underestimated the number of commitments that M had in the upcoming school year. In particular - she had some academic issues that were going to take up huge swaths of time. To all of our disappointment - we decided we had to pull M out of ballet. We informed Ballet Nova of this decision a little more than a week prior to the session start. At that point we became concerned about getting our money back. In particular, we were concerned that some of our payment would not be refundable. Our initial attempts to discuss this with Ballet Nova were a little frustrating. The administrative staff couldn't answer our question. Finally - after several additional inquiries and more than a week wait - a senior person got in touch with us. The woman was quite polite - but what she was said was a pretty rude shock. None of our 1.5K payment would be refundable. Now I understand some people will not find our situation worthy of sympathy. It is in fact true that the registration forms do indicate payment is non-refundable. If we weren't sure M was going to take the class - why did we sign her up. To some extent - these are valid criticisms. This is why I never expected to get the full 1.5K back. I would have actually been happy if they offered me only 50% back. I was just flabbergasted by the lack of flexibility and 'reasonableness'. One other thing to consider. The woman I spoke with wouldn't comment on whether or not M's slot was filled by another (paying) student. I am pretty confident the answer is that it was filled. So our $1.5K is just gravy for them. read more

This is my second year at this Dance class and I recommend taking your child to learn many types to grow there technique and style the teachers are amazing with helping their students with mostly everything read more

Great - the place is clean and professional. The instructors were warm and welcoming. They made everyone feel comfortable. Overall, great experience. read more

I recently signed up for the fall semester of Adult Basic Beginner Ballet. Being 27 and utterly lacking grace I decided to try and change my clumsy nature and thus signed up with BalletNova. Best. Decision. Ever. I had so much fun at the class! The instructor was so welcoming and the students were all ages (from older teens to older women) and of all builds. The studios and dressing rooms were spacious and well lit. For a basic class it was very fast paced, but honestly it kept me paying attention. They fit so much into the short 1 hour 15 minute time slot that I really felt like I got my money's worth. I learned so much in just one class and now I'm thinking about signing up for a workshop as well! If anyone is scared or shy about attempting ballet at an older age, then I highly recommend this place first! Everyone was very supportive and I absolutely can't wait for next week! read more

Our children have been studying at BalletNova for approximately four years now and we couldn't be more pleased. The professionalism of the faculty insures a very high level of quality instruction combined with a warm, caring atmosphere. Our children have thrived physically, while building their self-confidence as well as a love and appreciation of dance. Two of our children participated in the Nutcracker this year and we were blown away at how much our children learned, grew and had fun in the entire process. My wife and I truly appreciate the clear communication between the administration, teachers and us. The staff at BalletNova is very approachable and goes above and beyond in letting parents know policies, expectations and progress. We have recommended BalletNova to several friends and they have also had similar positive experiences. read more

Rented a studio for 1 hour last minute to prepare for a show with my team. Facility is impeccable - awesome flooring, easy to use and clear audio, spacious, and clean mirrors. The service was equally amazing. I had to rush to our next event after practice and left my wallet behind by accident - they promptly found and notified me of this occurrence, and even refused to accept a tip when I wanted to show my appreciation for their professionalism and integrity. I will definitely always recommend this studio for anyone practicing in the area. Thanks! read more

I recently bought a Groupon for beginner ballet classes and it's been incredible! Teachers are talented and have an easy to understand and patient way of teaching. Accidentally went to a class way too advanced for me and teachers and students alike were so encouraging and kind - makes me love ballet! read more

Our daughters have been dancing here nearly 10 years, starting about kindergarten age, and love it. The instruction is excellent, the kids have fun, and the staff are good at pushing just the right amount to challenge the kids. Every year several kids go on to professional positions or training, and yet there is a great community feel, with people looking out for each other. The Nutcracker is a highlight of the year. My daughter was a faerie one year, her first year in the Nutcracker, and the Sugar Plum Fairy (a high school girl) made little favors for each faerie and came by before the first performance to tell the girls that they are just as important to the production as she was. !! I was blown away. (doesn't happen every year, but that is not atypical) Just a lovely, healthy attitude. read more

I attended BalletNova 2 years ago for a tap class and tried ballet. While I concede their youth program seems exceptional, I have mixed feelings about their adult program, but I also think with a few small tweaks it could be really good. Having tried a couple of dance studios in the area, I think Ballet Nova would benefit from some changes to their adult programs, at least at the very beginning levels as people start. Here are my thoughts: The Good: * No matter what the size of the class, Ballet Nova will make the commitment to continue the class even if only one person is in attendance. * If you can't make a class for any reason, they will allow you to drop into another one. * The dancers who were bought through the program from youth to adult seem to do really well and have a good foundation for dance. My sisters danced at this studio for years and I was impressed with their accomplishments at the studio. * Good individual attention on choreography and basic steps. The Challenging: * Lack of community in the beginning tap classes, partially because the semesters were too long. (18 - 20 weeks vs. 6-9 at other studios). * The tap instructor seemed to favor newer students more than the ones that attended regularly, which was challenging when it came to learning new steps to prepare for the next class up. Candy's class, which was the one right above the class I took, seemed to have a lot of students and a strong dance community. * When it came to finding my dance level for ballet (I took ballet for a few years when I was younger), I was told to try one class and when I showed up, the instructor was rather snippy with me in the first 5 minutes saying "perhaps I should try another class and criticized me in front of the class when I fell, which I didn't appreciate. Unfortunately, this first class made me want to forget ballet all together. Conclusion: The majority of my time was spent in the tap class, which I attended regularly for a complete semester (5 months long) vs. the one class I took in ballet. When you are first attending a new class, it would be easier if either the people on the phones worked with instructors to get adults into the appropriate class in the beginning and/or encourage the instructor to be a little more forgiving in the first class. I thought about doing another tap dance class at Ballet Nova, but with vacations and other constraints that I along with many other adults who take dance are challenged with, I opted to spend my time at another dance school, because of shorter, more compressed class schedules and the larger dance communities they have in each level, which is great. I would be open to trying Ballet Nova again at some point if I saw some changes in the areas outlined. read more

I took adult ballet and tap here. The ballet is okay if you are not looking for indivdual attention. The classes are often huge and the teacher barely has time to notice everyone, and I often get ignored. It's okay with me since I primarily study elsewhere, this could never be my main source of classes because of this. The tap is okay, but not really a drop in class. If you haven't been coming from the start you won't be able to do anything. They just work on choreography, so you don't really learn steps or techniques. So I won't go back for tap. The studios are nice and big and clean, some of the teachers are amazing, others a bit apathetic. read more

I have two daughters that take dance classes there from ballet to jazz to modern. After being there for four years, I really don't know why anyone from NoVA would fight the traffic to attend Washington Ballet. The curriculum is rigorous, the teachers are terrific, and the kids have opportunities to perform in roles they would not get if they were with Washington Ballet. I feel that my children will be very prepared should either of them want to pursue dancing professionally at some point in the future. I also like that it is a school and not a place for dance competitions. read more

My life cannot continue without Ballet Nova. I go there almost every day to take adult classes. My favorites are. 1. Silvia -she has groupies. She is an endlessly happy lady from Argentina. She gives fun dancy classes. She also teaches modern and perform. She teaches adult pointe too. 2. Maria-she doesn't teach ballet anymore and only teaches Theater Dance. Occasionally she subs ballet classes. Many fears her strength building ballet classes, but her class is the best of Ballet Nova. I want her back teaching ballet. I really really love her class. 3. Irina- all would agree that she is the most beautiful ballerina in DC area. She is from Kazakhstan and was a professional dancer there. All the ladies here want to be like her. One copied her hat. I copied her purse (black Saint Laurent Blogger Bag). 4. Carmen- Her class is just so fun. You feel great after her class. She is a nice lady from Chile. I love Ballet Nova. read more

It looks small on the outside, but is spacious on the inside. I took my 4 1/2 year old daughter for a trial dance class and the teacher was nice and my daughter loved the class. We ended up signing her up for a different class that suited her age better. The only thing that I really don't like is that parents can't watch the classes. Parents are not allowed outside the classrooms. They're no windows or TVs to even see what they are doing. But as long as my daughter is having fun, I'll stay. read more

I danced when I was very young, and as an adult I wanted to get back in to it. I have tried adult ballet lessons in several area schools and decided that Ballet Nova was the best fit for me. I really enjoyed the beginner classes. I thought that the pace was just right for getting back into it. I also really liked the dance cardio. The class was fast paced and you followed the choreography of the instructor to cool electronic music. I always worked up a sweat in that class. I only wish it wasn't right off route 7, that road gets so messed up sometimes. read more

The teachers are great, but management is oppressive. It is clear that while ballet is unforgiving and critical feedback is required, that is not a successful management strategy. The executive director is clearly driving her staff (and the unfortunate parents who interact with her) crazy. I hope that they stick around enough for the community to benefit from the valuable knowledge the dancers have to offer. Note that it is designed for the masses. Many teachers specialize in choreography rather than technique (which is not what I was looking for), and because of that it is necessary to make every class. I've been to several now, both for myself and my kids, and I find that there is little to no individual attention. As long as you are taking classes for fun, and not necessarily to learn, and will not have any direct interaction with the executive director, this is a great place to go. read more

they just steal your money. My underage daughter signed for it, she has no idea where they located, no idea how far, she thought they are close from us, but they are not. However when contacted they refused to refund money. (long before class started, when I found this charge on my credit card). I contacted them multiple times, contacted credit card, and etc... Avoid a headache, don deal with them, if that how they do business, preying on kids, they cannot be useful to you! read more

This studio used to be a great studio until recently. If you not a favorite of Mrs. Walsh you will not get to dance very much. The dancers have been complaining about favoritism to dancers that are not as good as some of the others due to Mrs Walsh. If you want to get good parts in performances you will need to brown nose this woman. She should be let go. She is bringing this studio down when it used to be a great studio read more

I love to dance, and secretly my life wish is for someone to teach me the entire "Thriller" routine. Most of the classes I've taken are at my gym, or the special hip hop classes at Bally's, etc. I've taken hip hop, zumba, salsa, etc. but I'm by no means a "dancer". I've taken 3 drop-in classes at Arlington Center for Dance (now called BalletNova) and I have mixed reviews. This place is serious- it ain't your gym or Bally's' dance class, but it's appropriate for beginners all the same. It's hard to describe- they challenge you on the choreography a bit, and the classes are taught by serious dance instructors. I strongly disliked the hip hop instructor I had (don't remember her name)- we spent probably half the class stretching, which I know is important, but most of us are there to get a little exercise and have some fun. Trust me, I'm not going to exert myself to the point where I need a 30-minute stretch- too serious. And she seemed annoyed at all of us "amateurs", frankly. But the jazz class and ballet cardio classes i've taken have been good workouts and fun, too. read more

i've taken adult ballet classes here. Really didn't learn much at all, felt like i could learn more from a video so i feel like i really wasted my money here, and it's not cheap. i've tried i think four different ballet teachers. most seem uninterested in really teaching you ballet, they treat it as a fun adult exercise class, which is exactly what i didn't want! I imagine if you're younger and taking ballet they will treat you seriously and really teach you. It is very difficult as an adult to find a place that will teach you ballet seriously. read more

I love this studio! I tried a ballet class at BalletNova last summer, the first time I'd returned to ballet since I was 10, about 40 years ago. I was apprehensive about whether I could even do ballet again. Now, I wish I had the time and money to dance there every day. The instructors in the adult division are wonderful. They respect wherever you are, skill-wise, and yet instruct as if each student is going to progress. At the same time, they are not uber-serious and always bring humor and lightness to the class. The instructors bring different styles, choreography, and nuance to their teaching and challenge students in every class. I've been enrolled for ballet, and recently sampled jazz and modern, and loved both mini-classes. I also love the stretch/yoga class they offer. Students in the other, more advanced classes seem to have quite a bit of past dance experience, so they challenge me too. I've found ballet to be wonderful for toning, though it's not particularly aerobic. read more

A few positives to start off with...class sizes are small, and the performance was nice. My daughter's tap teacher was very welcoming, positive, and enthusiastic. Sadly, however, I didn't get a very friendly vibe from most of the staff here. Some of the front desk employees acted as if I was inconveniencing them when I asked questions regarding where I should place my daughter, and when I attempted to speak to one of the ballet teachers after class I felt very rushed and she seemed very annoyed and short. It is a very busy place, and being new in town and trying to figure out which class was best for my daughter, it felt very chaotic and crowded at certain times. What I was most disappointed about was that if you are not in the advanced, intensive ballet program, then you are in a "recreational" ballet class. This didn't offer any advancement or growth for my daughter. She was basically going to be in the same class until she was 18 because either she would have to move over to the intensive, or just stay in the same level year after year. The intensive ballet program was too much for her. She would have had to give up all of her extra-cirricular activities in order to attend classes 4 times a week. Another red flag was when my daughter would come to the car after class and tell me that her ballet teacher would refer to her as "sweetie" or "honey" when she wasn't getting a move quick enough. This was very embarrassing to her, being singled out. The class became a little stressful when it came close to the recital time, and if my daughter didn't perform correctly she would get a "honey, you need to get this" kind of comment. My daughter was sometimes really stressed after class, feeling not so great about her dancing abilities. Sometimes when you switch dance studios mid year, it takes a while to get used to a new class and different techniques. I do understand constructive criticism, but being subtle about it and giving positive encouragement would have been appreciated. BalletNova is a great place for very young dancers just starting out, or those who want to go to class daily and be en pointe at a very young age. Otherwise, you're kind of stuck in recreational classes where you're not going to advance or learn much after a certain point. read more

I have been a dancer all my life. I am a dance instructor and fitness instructor who loves teaching but was missing taking dance classes for myself. I don't care for Zumba and found a lot of classes I was taking weren't challenging enough or what I was looking for. I am so glad I found Ballet Nova! The classes are at the challenging level I want without the competition involved I had as a teen or in college. I can learn and have fun. The studio is gorgeous and very professional and they have some of the most qualified instructors I've ever seen. If you are an adult dancer who misses taking class, this is the place. The only two things I'd change are - I wish they had an online sign up system instead of using paper. It would be much faster and easier to manage. And I wish they were closer to me so it wouldn't take so long to get to and I could do more! Keep up the great work Ballet Nova! read more

My daughter came from a studio billing itself as "preprofessional". She had a passion for dance when she went to this other studio (10 minutes from our home). She has been at a dance studio that focused mostly on contemporary and wanted to move to a classical ballet studio with a pre professional tone. She did not want to be a professional, however, she has a very strong work ethic and wanted a studio that took dance seriously. At first it was ok and they seemed to really work well with her but after she went to a dance intensive in a nother state for the summer it all changed. She came back better and stronger. Neveer having been one of the toip dancers, her transofrmation was noticeable. Other students asked where she danced in the summer and planned to audition for the next summer session. I can only assume rather than be proud and happy to work with her as a stronger more competant dancer, this upset the artistic director because things quickly moved downhill for my daughter. What she got at this other studio was bullied, beat down and physically worn. The studio allowed students to bully each other. The "artistic director" had zero integrity and would make blanket statements like "if you dont show up for rehearsals understaudies will dance your part" and then never follow through. She would humiliate and berate students who were working hard to get them to quit to keep others who she "prefered". The hours were insane and, in the end, I cannot name a single student who went on to be a professional. Finally after she said she was going to quit dance we realized the extent of the ugliness. Our daughter had a PASSION for dance from the time she was two and now she spoke of quitting. She auditioned at EVERY ballet studio in NOVA and DC. When she went to BalletNOVA she said "This place feels good. honest. genuine". She was right. First they helped her work through her psychological pain, then physical. She was never the best dancer, but she was the best her! THe artistic director was honest but supportive and caring. The teaching staff worked her hard without humiliation or degradation. The other dancers worked hard as well and everyone (or almost everyone) always put forth their best effort. The Artistic Director told me one day, "we do not allow toxic dancers." They have a NO DIVA policy and they mean it. In the past 3 years they have had several students go on to be professionals and all their students, including my daughter, were accepted to the summer dance intensives they auditioned for . In fact the students were ENCOURAGED to dance other paalces in the summer to be well rounded. My daughter danced LESS hours and was a better dancer in every way. Her passion returned and by the time she graduated she was the starry eyed 2 year old who just wanted the opportunity to be on "thos pointy shoes" someday. She danced her solo senior year with passion, joy and gratitude. WE LOVE BALLETNOVA. No she is not a professional, again, she never wanted to be. But she is still passionate, strong and happy to be dancing. Nancy Woods, artistic director, once told her BalletNOVA 's mission is for every dancer to get out of it what they want. I you are not happy, you are not getting what you want and we want to help you get there. For a real professional experience, great teachers, supportive staff and the atypical cut throat dance experience that will acutally prepare you for whatever type of dancer you want to be---the ONLY place in NOVA is BALLETNOVA!! read more