Community News 

Ballet Chelsea offers students of all ages and levels a complete dance education in its beautiful, state-of-the-art facility. Its nationally recognized faculty has designed a varied and exciting curriculum to meet the needs of all students in a nurturing and caring environment. Registration is open now, and classes begin August 26. Register at www.balletchelsea.org/classes. 

Ballet Chelsea recently conducted a studio-wide survey, and the highest score relative to the most critical aspect of a good studio was the quality of the instructors. “Ballet Chelsea strives to provide the highest quality teachers while balancing the cost to retain them. Ballet Chelsea instructors are among the finest in the region. They are all trained and experienced teachers in various dance styles,” shared Artistic Director Michelle Quenon. 

Macks Kreps – Adaptive Dance Program Faculty | Artistic Faculty 

Macks is one of Ballet Chelsea’s most beloved instructors. Macks’ love and passion for dance instruction, performance, and choreography began at a local studio in south-east Michigan, where they trained in the styles of ballet, jazz, modern, tap, acrobatics, musical theatre, hip hop, lyrical/contemporary, and liturgical. 

Macks’ dance education includes training with Joffrey Ballet Chicago, Kansas City Ballet, and the Russian Ballet Academy of Michigan/Academy of Russian Classical Ballet. Passing highly commended on each level, Macks has completed the Cecchetti Method of Ballet, Grades I-V. Macks attended Eastern Michigan University on scholarship and graduated Summa Cum Laude with a BA in Dance Performance. Macks is highly effective in Ballet Chelsea’s Adaptive Dance Program, where they instruct dance and movement classes for folks of all ages and abilities across Washtenaw County. 

This season’s classes include the Adaptive Dance Program (ADP), bringing movement classes to residents ages 3 – 93. Classes are designed with mental, physical, and/or cognitive limitations. Each class is tailor-made to the needs and the participants’ abilities. The aim is to improve coordination and balance, endurance, flexibility, self-confidence, and teamwork for students. 

Ballet Chelsea can provide these programs and classes due to the community’s support, including the Chelsea Community Foundation. CCF recently awarded a $10,000 grant to assist in funding their Dancing Back Project, designed to rebuild Ballet Chelsea’s dance programs to pre-pandemic levels. The goal is to provide financial stability and broaden offerings to meet the diverse needs of the students and audiences Ballet Chelsea has served for 25 years. “Ballet Chelsea is deeply thankful for the unwavering support of its community. With a grant from the Chelsea Community Foundation, we are Dancing Back from the pandemic. This support enables us to expand our offerings to better cater to the diverse needs of our students and audiences, whom we have proudly served for over 25 years,” shared Jean Delwiche, Business Manager. 

The Dancing Back project will include ballet training programs for students ages 3 to 18 and adult programs. Non-ballet dance, including jazz, tap, and modern, will be expanded, and non-ballet classes like Hip Hop, Jazz, Art Movement, and Pilates will be introduced. Community outreach is an essential part of Ballet Chelsea. 

Ballet Chelsea incorporated findings from a recent survey that was open to the public, students, and professional dancers into its programming for this season and the future. 

“We want to be relevant and responsive to our students, families, and the community,” shared Michelle Quenon, Artistic Director. 

To learn more about class enrollment, visit their website www.balletchelsea.org/classes/, or contact them at info@balletchelsea.org. 734-475-3070. Enroll Now! Ballet Chelsea New Class Season