The Rock School for Dance

The Rock School for Dance Developing the whole dancer, enabling students to reach the highest standard of technique & artistry.
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05/24/2026

Stay focused through the combination ✨

A common challenge for young dancers is overthinking corrections in the moment—and losing the flow of the exercise.

This is normal. But it’s also why consistency in training matters.

You have to practice staying engaged from beginning to end, so corrections don’t interrupt your coordination or memory.

Think, but don’t disconnect. Stay present. Stay moving.

Great advice by Rock School for Dance | West Chester Director, Etienne Diaz.

With our Summer Intensive just around the corner 🌅, we would like to welcome Elisabeth Beyer, Company Member, as 2026 S...
05/23/2026

With our Summer Intensive just around the corner 🌅, we would like to welcome Elisabeth Beyer, Company Member, as 2026 Summer Guest Faculty. Elizabeth Beyer will teach during Week 4 at our West Chester and Philadelphia locations.

Elisabeth Beyer was born in New York City, NY. She began her classical ballet training at age 7 with the Greenwich Ballet Academy. At age 13, she joined the Ellison Ballet Professional Training Program, under the direction of Edward Ellison, alongside teacher Jolanta Valeikaite. In February 2020, at age 17, Elisabeth joined the ABT Studio Company. In June 2023, Elisabeth joined the c​orps de ballet of ABT dancing with the company at the Metropolitan Opera House, David H. Koch Theatre, and in tours across the U.S. and China.

In 2018, Elisabeth won the Gold Medal at the USA IBC XI in the Junior Division in Jackson, Mississippi. Earlier that year, Elisabeth won the Gold Medal in the Senior Division at the YAGP Finals in New York. In June 2017, Elisabeth won the First Prize in the Moscow International Ballet Competition XIII in Russia and danced on the Historic Stage of the Bolshoi Theatre. In 2017, Miss Beyer received the Natalia Makarova Award for Artistry in the YAGP NYC Finals.

Miss Beyer’s gala and guest performances include the YAGP 2024 Stars of Today Meet the Stars of Tomorrow Gala, a full-length The Nutcracker with the Toronto Ballet, Nervi Festival 2022, Dance Against Cancer 2022, YAGP Stars of Today Meet the Stars of Tomorrow Gala 2022, Kaatsbaan Summer Festival 2020, Dance Against Cancer Youth Movement Gala 2019, Cuba International Ballet Festival 2018, Marius Petipa 200th Anniversary Gala in Paris 2018, USA IBC XI Blue Cross Blue Shield Gala 2018, YAGP Stars of Today Meet the Stars of Tomorrow Gala 2018, ADC IBC Gala of Stars 2018, Moscow International Ballet Competition XIII Gala at the Bolshoi Theatre 2017, and International Masters and Youth Gala 2017.

📸:

The Rock School is offering drop in classes in June for intermediate/ advanced ballet students ages 12-18. New students ...
05/22/2026

The Rock School is offering drop in classes in June for intermediate/ advanced ballet students ages 12-18. New students are welcome to attend; ladies must have at least one year of experience on pointe.

Classes are instructed by leading Rock School award-winning faculty who provide a nurturing class environment with focused attention on proper alignment, technique, and artistry.

📍 Philadelphia Location
🗓️ Monday 6/15 - Friday 6/19 & Monday 6/22 - Friday 6/26
* Ballet Technique: 9am-10:30am
* Pointe: 10:30am-11:30am
* Men's Jumps & Turns: 10:30am-11:30am
* Ballet Technique: 1:30pm-3pm
* Pointe: 3pm-4pm

Space is limited and is first come, first served. Secure your spot today using the link in our bio 🔗

05/22/2026

Get to the position faster to find your balance 👀

Both feet must work at the same time.
As one foot goes down, the other reaches fully away—no delay, no hesitation.

Don’t search for the position—arrive in it.

Clarity in timing creates stability in balance.

📹: Principal Teacher, Anastasia Babayeva at The Rock School for Dance | West Chester

05/20/2026

Director Peter Stark shares a key technical detail that can help improve saut de basque.

As the working leg brushes to the side, think about allowing the hips to lift up, rather than shifting back.

When the leg brushes side and the hips rise, the body is better positioned to travel and lift into the jump. When the leg brushes more to the front and the hips move back, the jump becomes heavier and harder to control.

A small adjustment in how the body coordinates the brush can make the movement feel much more efficient.

The Rock School is proud to have received more awards at the Youth America Grand Prix 2026 Finals than any other partici...
05/19/2026

The Rock School is proud to have received more awards at the Youth America Grand Prix 2026 Finals than any other participating school worldwide. ✨

🥇 1st Place Senior Classical — Blake: Swan Lake
🥈 2nd Place Pas de Deux — Beatriz and Phoenix: A Midsummer Night’s Dream
🥈 2nd Place Small Ensemble — Kya, Amelia, and Hayato: La Ventana
🥈 2nd Place Large Ensemble — Savva, Hunter, Murphy, Beatriz, Adrian, Azriel, Lam, Lila, Aoi, Phoenix, Jose Emilio, and Taisiia: Intenso
Choreography by Justin Allen, Rock School Associate Director

We are beaming with pride here at the school. These students are AMAZING and deserve a boisterous round of applause. 👏

Thank you for the wealth of opportunities provided to these young talented dancers.

🏆 “The process is the prize.” — Peter Stark

We are pleased to announce that Andrea Yorita will be one of our 2026 Summer Intensive guest faculty members during our ...
05/18/2026

We are pleased to announce that Andrea Yorita will be one of our 2026 Summer Intensive guest faculty members during our Contemporary Intensive and week two of our Ballet Intensive in Philadelphia!

Andrea Yorita is from Irvine California, where she received her classical ballet training at Academy of Dance, under the direction of Merle Sepel, Rebecca Tsivkin, and Mignon Furman. In 2012, she graduated as a Gillespie Scholar with a BFA in Dance Performance from the University of California, Irvine, where she studied under Jodie Gates, Molly Lynch, and Donald McKayle. Originally trained under the R.A.D. syllabus, Andrea has completed all Vocational R.A.D. exams with Distinction and received the Solo Seal Award. In 2008, Andrea competed as a finalist in the Genee International Ballet Competition in Toronto, Canada. She has participated in the National Choreographers Initiative, as an apprentice, and the Traverse City Dance Project. Andrea was a 2016 Dance Finalist for the Clive Barnes Award. She joined BalletX in 2012 and spent 11 seasons with the company, touring nationally and internationally while working with many choreographers including Matthew Neenan, Jamar Roberts, Hope Boykin, Jennifer Archibald, Rena Butler, Penny Saunders, Nicolo Fonte, Trey McIntyre, Cayetano Soto, and Caili Quan. She was an Adjunct Associate Professor at the University of the Arts in 2024. She is a freelance dance artist while assisting and restaging works for choreographers such as Caili Quan and Matthew Neenan. Andrea is a co-founder of a dance project called Sonder Space which aims to provide a platform for emerging and accomplished artists to present their work with creative freedom.

05/17/2026

Don’t let your arms take over the movement.

A common habit is shifting focus to whatever is moving most—often the hands. But that takes attention away from what actually drives the step.

As Director of Rock School for Dance-West, Etienne Diaz emphasizes, the goal is clarity in the legs.

The movement should read clean and direct—like you’re flying—without distraction.

The arms support. They don’t lead.

Stay organized. Stay intentional. 🩰

BRAVO to The Rock School's superb faculty who have led more dancers to YAGP's 2026 Final Round than any other participat...
05/16/2026

BRAVO to The Rock School's superb faculty who have led more dancers to YAGP's 2026 Final Round than any other participating school WORLDWIDE 👏👏👏

Congratulations to The Rock's finalists who will grace the stage with dancers from around the globe today 🌟

Elliot
Amelia
Blake
Beatriz
Jose Emilio
Savva
Lily
Hunter
William

We could not be prouder of every one of The Rock School students who performed variations, pas de deux, and ensemble pieces finals in Houston this season. Your professionalism and passion have inspired us all as we watched on from Philadelphia and West Chester.

🏆 "The process is the prize" - Peter Stark

📷:

05/15/2026

Submit your video for The Rock School Private Coaching Intensive Scholarship 2026 -OR- 2027 Summer! We reserved 1 spot for 1 dancer for 1 week of 1 on 1 instruction with our award winning faculty!

✅ Complete the Private Coaching Intensive Scholarship form in our bio– including a short video clip of a combination or variation.

⭐ One dancer will be selected by The Rock School Artistic Leadership. All submissions must be received by Monday, June 1, 2026 by 11:59PM EST. The Private Coaching Intensive Scholarship winner will be announced on Friday, June 5, 2026.

⏰ Choose to attend this season from Monday, June 15 - Friday, June 19, 2026 or defer your scholarship to the summer of 2027.

Train, refine, and transform this summer as you take your dancing to the next level with The Rock School’s Private Coaching Intensive. This unique program for ages 12-18 is an exclusive opportunity for a limited number of students to receive personalized, high-level training concluding with an evaluation by a panel of our expert faculty.

05/15/2026

If the head moves too early, you lose the phrasing.

Let the arms lead.
Delay the head.
Then complete the movement with intention.

Clear coordination makes the variation readable. ✨

Great coaching by Principal Teacher, Anastasia Babayeva with student, Elliot.

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