Laurel Ballet Performing Company

i have been dancing there for 1 year and i love it...the teachers are so nice and they help sooo mush!! the technique is great...and we all work so hard...i think it is one of the best ballet schools in the area!! i love it!! Pros: great! Cons: ?? more

It began for us when our daughter was two. ""It"" being her love of ballet. We distinctly remember her wide eyes and fixed stare at the beautiful ballerinas on the Palace Theater stage. That year she would be an audience member, but not for long! We knew, in that moment, Laurel Youth Ballet was the school for her! Not long after, she began her ballet training and quickly progressed through the levels to the Company. She has continued to dance in many performaces on the very stage she marveld at so long ago. There are many dancers that have received their training at Laurel who have gone on to attend renowned ballet programs/schools and even professional statis. That alone speaks for the teacher's abilities. As a mom, I can not speak to the level of technique, or the complexity of the coreography; however, I can tell of the numerous doors Laurel Ballet has opened for our daughter. Not only has she become a beautiful dancer, but her experience as a student there has given her the confidence, grace, and humility to guide her through her life. Laurel is much more than a ballet school, it is a ""family."" If you are looking for a phenominal foundation in ballet as well as a group of caring, knowledgeable, teachers in a non-competitive atmosphere, Laurel is the place for you! Pros: A strong foundation Cons: ? more

I have been dancing at Laurel for about 8 years and I think that it is a great opportunity fro young girls (and boys? :) to learn ballet, meet new people and make new friends! I have had such a fun time at Laurel and have made SO many new friends! This summer, my friend, my sister, and I will be attending the Joffrey Midwest Summer Intensive. I surely wasn?t accepted because I had bad technique, so I must have learned how to do things right from somewhere?but where other than Laurel? Pros: A great place to become a ballerina and make new friends! Cons: Puh-lease! more

Laurel Ballet is truly the best ballet school you will find in all of Greensburg. I have attended the school for eleven years now, and have found out what my passions, strengths and weaknesses are as an individual person and dancer. The school develops more than just ballet technique. I have a great relationship with all of my teachers there (who don't fight in front of me and my classmates, potentially scarring us for life ) and they know me personally. They don't single out one student in particular and give them all the praise like other pre-professional schools do. The teachers focus on all the dancers individually and thats what I like about the school. Besides building strong relationships at Laurel, I have developed a wonderful ballet basis. It shows since I have attended several summer intensive programs at Pittsburgh Youth and BalletMet. I have had several performence opportunities through Laurel Ballet and am grateful for every single one of them. Being able to express myself creatively would have never happened if not for attending Laurel Ballet. So those of you who are genuinely interested in finding a great school with a comfortable, friendly learning enviroment (which is hard to find in the ballet world) consider Laurel Ballet and disregard the comments made by CameronBrandt and lovelyenpointe29; she has no valid opinion of the school for ""attending for three years"". more

Anytime a person writes a review, it should be taken with a grain of salt, particularly if it is a negative review since the author obviously has their own agenda. In most cases, it is best to see for yourself by attending a class or event. Anyone who really wishes to know more about Laurel Ballet can go to youtube and search for ""A History of Laurel Ballet"" or come to see a performance (our next is at the Palace Theatre in Greensburg on June 13th) or come to a class. As for the negative statements made by a single disgrunted person I can only say I am truly sorry you were disappointed in some way and are now bitter enough to put time and energy into the falsehoods you have posted here. The first review (posted under Cameron Brandt) regarding the inner workings of staff was amusing and easily disregarded but your second post (Lovelypointes?) is not so easily dismissed because it involved one of my dearest and most beloved and beautiful dancers. We have had one dancer who studied at Rock and she is a lovely dancer who was placed in the next to the highest level the moment she walked through the door. I have never known a dancer to work harder and before she studied with anyone else she was accepted to Chautauqua, UBA, Kirov and Susan Farrel's lake camp (as well as others) on the training and technique she obtained from LBT. Spout whatever gibberish you care to dear if it makes you feel better but do not criticize my dancers. They are among the most intelligent, talented, ambitious, hard working and beautiful young women on the planet. As for LBT, it is an institution that has provided quality education and performances for Westmoreland County for over 30 years. Ballet is a hard sell and schools that specialize in Ballet do not exist for as long as LBT has unless they are exceptional. It is not necessary for me to say any more. Our work speaks for itself. Pros: Large, prof staff, high quality performances Cons: can not please everyone more

The technique here is not good at all, I personally have never danced there but i know a few students and when comparing them to how dancers at The Rock School dance you could put Laurels ""top"" dancers with our level 2's. Pros: NONE. Cons: Bad tenique, bad arms, and legs, not teaching correctly. more

Wow, CameronBrandt. I am literally speechless over your review. I have danced at Laurel Ballet since the age of eight and I am now almost eighteen years old. And, it's funny, but I don't seem to ever recall there being a student with your name... But moving on. You say that all the three women do is argue and drag their students into their own situations. This is rather humorous to me because, seeing as I am a company member, I can never really seem to recall a single argument. Sure, they might have bickered slightly, but it was never anything impacting or shocking to myself or my fellow peers. In fact, most of the bickering was just silly chides at each other. They are family, and a very close one, after all. As for disrespecting talent, I am just dumbfounded with your response. I have attended the Pennsylvania Governor's School for the Arts, Ballet Met in Columbus, Ohio, Chautauqua Institute in New York, and American Ballet Theater in Detroit, Michigan. But i never would have been accepted into any of these prestigious programs without my instructors, those ""argumentative, lacking any appreciation for talent"" women, and their time spent coaching me, both on a personal and professional level. They encouraged my confidence in my own dancing and nurtured my own, personal talent. It's not just me, however-- any of my friends who have been accepted to School of American Ballet, or to the Joffrey Ballet, or to Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre (to name a few) can also support the statement above. Sure, a lot rides on personal drive and goals, but the involvement my teachers have had in my success as a dancer has been astounding. As for taking your children to Pittsburgh Ballet, there is no doubt PBT is an excellent school if you are up for the hour-long drive. But please consider this: the roles the children who attend PBT school receive in their productions are minimal, if not slim to none. If you are really looking for a professional career, sure, this may be a better option. But this past spring, i performed the role of Peter Pan in a LYB production. Peter was the most amazing experience of my life-- I would rather perform in an opportunity such as that over taking technique classes any day, but i know that may just be me,eh? Now I'm sure you are thinking they put me up to this response, no? I admit i was made aware of it from my teacher, but this is by no means a forced response. I have had my rough times with my instructors, mostly due to that hormonal ""blessing"" called adolescence and the accompanied gift of attitude. I am not pretending I am a perfect pupil, and I myself have been discouraged and frustrated. But for you to sit there and bash an incredibly accomplished local ballet company that you were only a part of for three years is incredibly unjust, rude, and downright immature, in my opinion. For those reading, i strenuously discourage you from even considering the comment above. Thank you. Pros: Variety of Talented Instructors, Encouraging Environment more

My daughter has been dancing at LBT for 6 years, They have made a shy litlle girl into a confident dancer. She knows now that if she truly wants to become a professional Ballet dancer, she has the ability to do it. With some extra private classes and maturity she can bloom into a wonderful BALLET dancer. When girls leave Laurel Ballet and go on to PBT or where ever they choose, Its a feather in their cap for starting them off on the right foot. Pros: Their own expertise, Master teachers from PBT weekly, Cons: People in the Greensburg area not knowing how good they are. more

I danced here for about 3 years. They are good for learning appropriate technique, but this group of women running the place need serious help. They have family issues and will drag your kids down with them as they scream at each other in front of them. That not enough, I haven't danced there since 2002 and I am still upset I ever stepped foot in that studio. They will not reward your child for there talent, but how much of your money they have taken from you. Do you and your child a favor, go to Pittsburgh Ballet Theater if you want real technique and for your child to rewarded for their talent. They can skip the drama and fake regard in the meantime. Trust me that's what I did. Pros: Proper Technique Cons: Drama from the owners more