Students Testimonies

Ballet des Amériques is a non-for-profit, pre-professional conservatory, school, and professional company of classical dance, Afro-Caribbean dance, Urban Jazz, and Acrobatics. The curriculum is also composed of anatomy, nutrition, and dance history to teach us about the great art we have chosen the path of. The teachers take pride in every student and believe in them. In this school, there is no favoritism and not one teacher here focuses on one student. The atmosphere is so loving and everyone is part of a large BDA family. As a student, I can tell you I have learned discipline, kindness, humility, dedication, professionalism, and perseverance over my ongoing journey. I don't think this can be found in many places and I am incredibly thankful for everything Ballet des Amériques gives me and I hope that you can experience it too. -Zahra

An Open Letter to my teacher, coach, and mentor, Mme. Alexis, and to all of Ballet des Amériques:
I have been both nervous and excited about my graduation, nervous because it signifies the end of a chapter and excited because it also means the beginning of a new adventure. Now I want to take a moment to reflect on the past 9 years at Ballet des Amériques as Mme. Alexis’ student.
Under Mme. Alexis’ tutelage, I learned essentially everything: from the floor barre exercises and the importance of human anatomy to the physical movement of each step and its terminology; from the importance of rhythm and musicality to the physical aspect of how to coordinate your body; from the essence of the stage to the meaning of the art of dance. This and so much more, I have learned from her.
Thanks to Mme. Alexis’ training and guidance, I was able to attend amazing summer programs: the first being the Paris Opera Ballet in 2014 at the intermediate level, then once more in 2016 at the superior level. I also attended the American Ballet Theatre’s Collegiate program, the Bolshoi Ballet in New York, and the Juilliard Summer Dance Program, all in the summer of 2017. Among the many teachers in these programs, I had the humbling experience of being taught by Mme. Alexis’ own teachers and mentors, M. Nikoloz Makhateli in the Michigan Ballet Academy’s summer program, and M. Larrio Ekson in the Paris Opera summer program in 2016.
While I made great memories and was taught by wonderful teachers in these programs, nothing compares to the care, patience, and encouragement I experienced at Ballet des Amériques. It has been hundreds of thousands of hours of floor barre, ballet classes, coaching, mentorship, guidance, and ultimately love. Of course, I also changed physically because of the training and molding of Mme. Alexis’ teachings, and as I continue to grow and mature, one day I want to give back some of what I’ve received.
There’s a saying that I hear often from Mme. Alexis and my parents, that “it takes a village to raise a child.” I am honored and humbled to have been raised by this village of beautiful people.
Thank you, Mme. Alexis, for the love you’ve given me. Thank you for creating and directing Ballet des Amériques, a conservatory of not only proper and high-class dance training, but also a place of respect, inspiration, passion, and love. Thank you for creating and directing Ballet des Amériques, the company in which I have had the most humbling opportunity to perform your choreography, and to learn and grow in a professional setting. I still remember watching the first Evenings of Dance and being so excited to see Nos Ici et D’Ailleurs (as it was and is one of my favorite pieces), not knowing that a few years later I would be dancing in it as the company’s trainee. Your choreography continues to feed my soul and inspire me. Thank you for giving me the opportunity these past 2 years to learn and grow in a professional environment while performing and dancing your pieces.
Thank you to all of Ballet des Amériques — board members, teachers and administrators for making BdA a place of love, artistry, culture, and passion. To the students of BdA, I am so excited for all of you — the amazing opportunities you’ll experience will compare to no other. You are in remarkable hands.
As the year is coming to an end, I am now less nervous and more excited. Ms. Irene Przywara once said to me that Mme. Alexis has given me wings and now I can actually fly. Thank you for this gift.
Sincerely, Alexandria Ina Rose

Ballet Des Amériques is an outstanding and amazing school. The director, Madame Carole Alexis, has created a school where everyone is loving, passionate and hard-working. All the teachers believe in every student’s ability to progress. I have been a student at Ballet Des Amériques for three years, attending 5 summer intensives beforehand. I used to live in France and have attended several ballet schools there. None of these ballet schools compare to the exceptional program Ballet Des Ameriques offers. When I moved to the US and started my first year at Ballet Des Amériques, I was struck by the amount of happiness and passion in dance that this school brought to me. I could see that I was not the only one; every student there was filled with eagerness and dedication to work. There is no favoritism and bullying allowed in this school which is why it is such a positive environment. Ballet Des Amériques teaches discipline and respect so that we all become respectful and humble people. The school teaches excellent ballet technique and other dances, such as character dance, jazz, and musical theatre. We also learn music, dance anatomy, and dance history.
Recently, thanks to Madame Alexis, I have been accepted into the Paris Opera Ballet School summer program. I have so much gratitude for everything Madame Alexis has done for our school; not only has she created a ballet school, but a family as well Beatrice Larzul