…The Brighton Ballet Theater has offered affordable, professional dance instruction and performance opportunities to children and adults, both in studio classes and within the New York City public school system. Students from diverse backgrounds come together at Brighton Ballet Theater to develop their physical and mental capacities using the Vaganova method, a ballet training system that not only teaches correct technique, but also proper disposition. Brighton Ballet Theater teachers, who hail from the best ballet academies and colleges in Russia and the US, prepare over 500 dancers annually for life-long health, creativity, self-discipline, personal responsibility and professional success.

Many people assume that our name refers to Brighton Beach, but it is actually much bigger than this. We initially chose the name “Brighton Ballet” because of the associations with the word “bright,” like bright ideas and a bright future. We also chose this name because Brighton, as in Brighton Beach, represented a place of great diversity and a welcoming home for new immigrants, things that we wanted our ballet school to represent as well. But most people are surprised to know that our classes did not start in Brighton Beach at all. In fact, we were originally founded on Avenue M at East 17th Street. We later moved to Brighton Beach, then to Coney Island, and now to our current location. 

Brighton Ballet Theater has headquartered its Brooklyn operations on the campus of Kingsborough Community College (KCC) since 2005. KCC, part of The City University of New York system, offers both associate degree programs and a wide array of continuing education courses. In 2013, KCC was even named one of the top four community colleges in the United States by the Aspen Institute College Excellence Program! We are fortunate to partner with KCC and appreciate the access they provide our students to their excellent performing arts center, classrooms, shuttle, and of course their beautiful setting by the sea.

Our goal in Brooklyn is to foster the development of well-rounded, healthy, passionate, imaginative and resilient young adults who have the potential to succeed in any field. Unlike many dance programs in Manhattan and other parts of the country, our program is open to dancers at all different levels, from recreational dancers to those who are preparing for careers in dance. By nurturing their minds and bodies, delivering the highest level of training and instruction and sharing the daily discipline and rigor required in the life of a professional artist, we enable our students to discover their inner strengths, achieve new competencies, and identify and pursue career choices aligned with their talents and interests. Our location on a college campus further enhances our students’ exposure to other cultures and provides opportunities to work as a team with individuals of different abilities, backgrounds, languages, and outlooks.