Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet

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Carlisle, PA
Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet

Founded in 1955 by Marcia Dale Weary. More than 21,000 students have passed through the esteemed institution. Ms. and abroad.

Since 1955, Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet (CPYB) has grown from a small, local dance studio into a sprawling facility with 14 studios in Carlisle at the CPYB Warehouse Studios, and only blocks away, at the historic Barn Studios. Currently more than 80 alumni occupy positions in highly regarded ballet companies such as New York City Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, Boston Ballet, Pacific Northw

est Ballet, Pennsylvania Ballet, and San Francisco, to name only a few. Under the guidance of Founding Artistic Director Marcia Dale Weary, CPYB provides exceptional dance training for beginning to pre-professional dancers and enhances the cultural climate of the Central Pennsylvania region through ballet performances. In addition to the Primary and Pre-Professional ballet programs, the CPYB Children's Division offers Creative Movement, Pre-Ballet and Tap for children ages 3 to 6. Students in the dedicated Men's Program acquire the skills and knowledge needed to launch their dance career! Weary began producing full-length ballets in the 1960s at the local Carlisle high school auditorium with a handful of loyal dance enthusiasts. Today more than 13,100 patrons annually enjoy the beauty of classical ballet. As the Resident Ballet Company of Whitaker Center for Science and the Arts in Harrisburg, CPYB's season includes both classical and contemporary performances in the winter, spring, and in June. CPYB is honored as the only school in the country licensed to perform George Balanchine's The Nutcracker®. This holiday classic is performed both at Whitaker Center for Science and the Arts and with the Harrisburg Symphony Orchestra at the historic Hershey Theatre. CPYB commissions new works by nationally recognized choreographers, including former Resident Choreographer Alan Hineline who has created more than 25 new works for the performing company. Many of these works have gone on to be included in the repertories of professional companies in both the U.S. In 1998 CPYB initiated ChoreoPlan to encourage the creation of new works in the classical genre by emerging choreographers from across the nation. FirstSteps, CPYB Student Choreographic Workshop further enriches the training of CPYB dancers beyond the traditional student/performer boundaries. Unrivaled among ballet schools not affiliated with a major professional company, CPYB continually produces dancers for the top companies in the world. Others have continued on in dance-related fields such as ballet teaching and arts administration. CPYB alumni, no matter what their vocation, are enthusiastic audience members and arts advocates. Joseph Carman, dance critic for The New York Times, wrote, “London, Paris, St. Petersburg, and New York are well known for their first-rate ballet academies, training many of the best dancers in the classical form. Add to that list Carlisle, PA, a town with fewer than 20,000 people and a modest economy driven by state government jobs and the defense industry … Marcia Dale Weary and her Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet have produced dancers well known in the ballet world.”

CPYB was featured on the cover of Dance Teacher Magazine. In the article titled, Marcia’s Magic, Kristin Lewis wrote, “She produces students who have the whole package—attention to detail, early technical development and a broad socialization into the arts. It seems a given that companies nationwide will continue to be stocked with her dancers for many years to come.”

cpyb.org/instagram-landing-page

08/18/2026

Teachers Workshop may be over, but we are still reveling in its success! What an inspiring week, led by our Director of Children’s and Primary Divisions, Director of Curriculum, and Artistic Staff Member — Rose Taylor Rose Taylor 🌹

We extend our deepest gratitude to the dedicated educators who graced our studios, deepening their understanding of Marcia Dale Weary’s curriculum and pedagogy. Your passion for carrying on Marcia’s teachings ensures that her legacy will live on for generations to come.♥️

08/10/2026

Some moments from pointe class with Arie Czernobil — just a few of many highlights from our first week of August Course!🩰🌻
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In addition to the second week of August Course, today we kicked off the beginning of our Teachers Workshop 2026! We welcome all of our new instructors to the CPYB studios. :)

07/29/2026

WOW… What a summer! 🌞
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This past weekend marked the conclusion of our 5-Week Summer Intensive. We thank our students, faculty and dance families for helping make this such a memorable summer. While the intensive may have come to an end, it’s not goodbye—it’s see you later!💜

07/27/2026

✨ **A lifelong love of movement can begin with one joyful step!** ✨

CPYB’s Children’s Division introduces young dancers ages 3–6 to the joy of ballet in a fun, encouraging, and developmentally appropriate environment.

Through **Creative Movement and Pre-Ballet**, children build:

🩰 Confidence and creativity
🎶 Musicality and rhythm
🌟 Coordination, balance, and strength
🤝 Focus, friendships, and a sense of community

Our youngest students explore movement and imagination, while Pre-Ballet dancers begin learning foundational ballet technique, terminology, barre work, and storytelling through movement.

Pre-Ballet students may also add **tap classes at no additional tuition cost!**

Whether your child dreams of the stage or simply loves to move, their journey can begin at CPYB.

**Registration for the 2026–2027 Academic Year is now open!**

👉 Learn more and register today:
https://cpyb.org/school/childrens-division/

Discover the beauty of dance through classical ballet training for children ages 3 and up at Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet. We change lives through dance.

07/23/2026

Teacher Spotlight🌟⬇️  Through the duration of our 5-Week Summer Intensive, we want to highlight the amazing faculty that mold our dancers technique six days a week. This week our teacher spotlight is on THE Grace Anli Snyder! Grace Anli Snyder

Grace Anli was born in Chongqing, China, and began her ballet training at the age of three at Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet under the direction of Marcia Dale Weary. During her training, she studied with Nicholas Ade, Darla Hoover, Alan Hineline, and Laszlo Berdo, and furthered her education on full merit scholarships at Boston Ballet and Atlanta Ballet, as well as with Fabrice Herrault in New York City.

While at Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet, Grace performed leading roles in Swan Lake, The Sleeping Beauty, Giselle, and Coppélia, in addition to principal roles in George Balanchine’s Serenade, La Source, Walpurgisnacht Ballet, Valse Fantasie, and numerous other Balanchine works. She also performed for former Pennsylvania Governors Ed Rendell and Tom Corbett, including Governor Corbett’s 2011 inaugural celebration. At the age of 16, Grace was honored to be invited by Mikhail Baryshnikov and Ekaterina Shchelkanova to perform at the Open World Dance Foundation Gala.

Grace joined Alabama Ballet as an apprentice at the age of 17 and was promoted to company artist the following season in 2014. Since then, she has performed principal roles in Giselle, Coppélia, and George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker®, along with featured roles in Twyla Tharp’s In the Upper Room, Jiří Kylián’s Sechs Tänze, Roger Van Fleteren’s Don Quixote, Frederick Ashton’s Les Patineurs, and Balanchine’s Allegro Brillante. Also in 2016, she was recognized as a “Dancer to Watch” by A Ballet Education Magazine.

In addition to her performing career, Grace currently serves as Alabama Ballet’s Community Cast Director and Coach for its annual production of The Nutcracker.

Grace leads as a wonderful example of CPYB Alumna and embodies all of the qualities Marcia Dale Weary valued in both a dancer and a teacher. Thank you for sharing your expertise in our studios!💚

07/20/2026

DITL of an RA at CPYB!🌞
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Follow along as one of our RA’s, Sarabella Reynolds Sarabella Reynolds , takes you through a day in the life during our 5-Week Summer Intensive.
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Sarabella is a former CPYB Alumni, and has spent the past two years dancing with the Graduate Program at Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre. This upcoming season she will be joining Louisville Ballet Studio Company. Help us show Sarabella some love in the comments!💜

07/10/2026

Teacher Spotlight🌟⬇️  Through the duration of our 5-Week Summer Intensive, we want to highlight the amazing faculty that mold our dancers technique six days a week. This week our teacher spotlight is on the peoples princess… Maddy Rogers👑 Maddy Rogers
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Madeline Rogers began ballet at the age of three at the Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet. Throughout her time, she studied under Marcia Dale Weary, Theresa Crawford, Darla Hoover, and Alan Hineline. At age 14, she attended the Summer Course for the School American Ballet. To conclude her first summer, she was hand selected by Peter Martins to join the winter term. From 2017-2021, Maddy performed in multiple SAB Workshops, the New York Choreographic Institute, and the Student Choreographic Workshop. Also, Maddy was the recipient of the 2021 Mae L. Wien Award for Outstanding Promise, as well as the Excellence Award from the Professional Performing Arts High School.
In 2021, Madeline joined Carolina Ballet as a member of the Corps de Ballet, and was promoted to Soloist in 2023. During her time in the corps and soloist ranks, she performed roles such as Myrtha in Giselle, the Second Pas de Trois Woman in George Balanchine’s Agon, and the First Aria Principal Couple in Balanchine’s Stravinsky Violin Concerto. In 2025, she was promoted to Principal Dancer. Since her promotion, she has performed many lead roles, including the Principal Woman in Balanchine’s Raymonda Variations, Robert La Fosse’s Concerto in 5 Movements, and the Blue Regiment Lead in Balanchine’s Stars and Stripes.
Maddy leads as a shining example of CPYB Alumni and embodies all of the qualities Marcia Dale Weary valued in both a dancer and a teacher. Thank you for sharing your expertise in our studios!🩵

07/08/2026

POV: You’re a fly on the wall at 👁️👁️
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Hard to believe, but today is officially the halfway point of the 5-Week Summer Intensive! Time flies when you’re having fun🌞

07/02/2026

Teacher Spotlight🌟⬇️  Through the duration of our 5-Week Summer Intensive, we want to highlight the amazing faculty that mold our dancers technique six days a week. This week our teacher spotlight is on the one and only... Darla Hoover!
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Darla Hoover began her ballet training at age six at CPYB, under the direction of Marcia Dale Weary. After attending three School of American Ballet summer courses, she was invited to enroll as a full-time student in the fall of 1976. At George Balanchine’s invitation, she joined New York City Ballet in 1980, where she performed an extensive repertoire, including Ballo della Regina, Serenade, Symphony in C, Stars and Stripes, Concerto Barocco, Square Dance, and The Nutcracker, as well as choreography by Peter Martins, including Eight Easy Pieces, Sonate di Scarlatti, and Ecstatic Orange.
Ms. Hoover was named CPYB’s Associate Artistic Director in 1995 and rose to Artistic Director in 2019. Concurrently with her work at CPYB, Ms. Hoover joined the faculty of Ballet Academy East in 1996, rising to Associate Artistic Director in 2006, and Artistic Director of BAE’s Pre-Professional Division in 2014. In June 2022, Ms. Hoover accepted the position of Chair of Faculty at the School of American Ballet, where she served until August 2023.
Since 1996, Ms. Hoover has been a répétiteur for The George Balanchine Trust, staging acclaimed works including Serenade, Allegro Brillante, Divertimento No. 15, and Rubies, among many others, for leading institutions around the world, including American Ballet Theatre, Hamburg Ballet, The Royal Danish Ballet, The Australian Ballet, Hong Kong Ballet, New National Theatre Ballet in Tokyo, and the Vaganova Academy. Notably, she staged Raymonda Variations at the Vaganova Academy and became the first American woman invited to teach class at the renowned institution!
A recipient of the Marcia Dale Weary Legacy Award and a 2021 Congressional Commendation, Ms. Hoover continues to inspire future generations of dancers through her leadership, teaching, and dedication to preserving both the legacy of George Balanchine and Marcia Dale Weary. Thank you, Ms. Hoover, for sharing your expertise in our studios!💜

06/29/2026

You already know what time it is… Our 5-Week Summer Intensive is in full swing! 🌞
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Today marks Day 1 of Week 2 here at , and we could not be more pleased with the hard work and artistry showcased in the studios so far. Can’t wait to see what this week has in store!

Address

5 N Orange Street, Ste 3
Carlisle, PA
17013

Telephone

+17172451190

Website

https://www.CPYB.org/

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