Ballet West Academy’s innovative Curriculum Design Seminar, aimed at helping school directors and educators craft their own training programs, is back for a second year with live virtual and in-person sessions in 2026. The virtual seminar will run February 9–12, and the in-person session April 9–10 at Ballet West Academy in Salt Lake City, Utah. The Curriculum Design Seminar is led by Stacey Mahan, associate director of curriculum for Ballet West Academy, and Evelyn Cisneros-Legate, director of Ballet West Academy. Although information is often presented in the context of a ballet class, the Curriculum Design Seminar is open and applicable to educators from all dance genres.

A Solid Foundation 

Ballet West Academy’s own curriculum brings together top-notch ballet training with the science of childhood development, focusing on the physical, cognitive, and emotional needs and abilities of students from early childhood through pre-professional training. In creating this curriculum, Mahan and Cisneros-Legate hoped to help young dancers avoid overtraining, which can lead to injuries and burnout.  

“The demands on professional dancers may have changed over time, but the way that a 9-year-old develops has not,” Mahan explains. “We built a curriculum that works toward those demands, within the framework of what students can achieve at every age.” The outcome? “Happier students and happier teachers,” Mahan says. “Students are not overwhelmed, and teachers can experience more success.” 

After seeing positive results across Ballet West Academy’s four campuses—each of which serves a slightly different community—Mahan and Cisneros-Legate were eager to share their visionary approach to dance training with fellow educators. The inaugural Curriculum Design Seminar in 2025 was attended by representatives from 10 dance schools across the country. Rather than expect studios to implement a carbon-copy of Ballet West Academy’s curriculum, the goal was for each participant to take home the knowledge and tools to craft a program that would meet the needs of their specific community.  

“Ballet West’s curriculum seminar was both inspiring and clarifying, giving us a fresh lens through which to view our own training goals,” says 2025 attendee Mia Gerrish, director of operations and school vice principal at Colorado Ballet Society. “Evelyn and Stacey equipped and energized us to refine Colorado Ballet Society’s curriculum with greater intention and depth. It empowered us to thoughtfully redevelop our already established curriculum to better serve our dancers.”

What to Expect

The virtual and in-person workshops offer the same eight hours of seminar time, broken up into four sessions. One session will cover developmental milestones from ages 3–18. Another will discuss different learning styles and how educators can identify and effectively teach various types of learners. Participants will also hear from Ballet West Academy’s Intermountain Health Team in a session on students’ physical and mental well-being, covering injury prevention, growth spurts, anxiety, and other wellness topics teachers may encounter. Finally, a guest speaker from Ballet West Academy’s faculty will discuss how they use this information in their own teaching practice. In-person participants will also observe a class at Ballet West Academy and attend a preview performance of Ballet West’s “West Side Story: Broadway and Beyond.” 

For an additional fee, after completing either seminar, studios can schedule a one-on-one consultation with Mahan to receive feedback on their new or revised curriculum and to discuss specific challenges their school may face. Once they’ve had time to implement their curriculum, schools might also opt to apply for the Ballet West Academy Affiliate Program. This includes an in-person site visit from Ballet West Academy staff, feedback for faculty and students, and an annual follow-up review, if desired. In 2025, all 10 schools that participated in the Curriculum Design Seminar went on to do the one-on-one consultation, and two joined the Ballet West Academy Affiliate Program. 

Reaping the Benefits 

Whether schools are updating an existing syllabus or starting from scratch, Ballet West Academy’s Curriculum Design Seminar empowers educators to make smart, science-based curriculum decisions. Focusing on benchmarks in physical, mental, and social-emotional development can lead to safer, more nurturing classroom environments—without sacrificing rigor or intensity. 

“That’s what we’re dedicated to at Ballet West Academy,” Cisneros-Legate says. “Whether students go on to enter the professional dance world, work in the arts behind the scenes, or do something else entirely, a positive and enriching training experience will help them be successful.” 

Learn more about how Ballet West Academy’s Curriculum Design Seminar could help your dance school and register for this year’s seminars here.