Iowa may be better known for cornfields than corps de ballet, but the state has quietly cultivated a reputation for producing technically strong, versatile dancers. From Des Moines to Iowa City, pre-professional programs and university conservatories are sending alumni to national companies, Broadway tours, and prestigious summer intensives. For families weighing the cost and commitment of out-of-state training, Iowa's ballet ecosystem offers a compelling alternative—one that pairs rigorous instruction with a lower cost of living and tight-knit artistic communities.
The State of Ballet Training in Iowa
Unlike coastal hubs where students can step from class into a company apprenticeship, Iowa's dancers train in what many directors call a "destination market"—students come here intentionally, often commuting across county lines or boarding with host families. The trade-off is smaller class sizes, individualized attention, and faculty with deep professional credentials. Several programs have also forged partnerships with regional theaters and touring companies, giving students performance experience that rivals larger cities.
Ballet Des Moines Academy
Des Moines
Founded in 2002 as the official school of Ballet Des Moines, this academy operates out of the Des Moines Social Club downtown and a second studio in West Des Moines. The curriculum follows a Vaganova-based syllabus with additional coursework in Horton technique and Pilates.
What distinguishes the program is its direct pipeline to the professional company. Advanced students rehearse alongside Ballet Des Moines dancers during annual Nutcracker and spring repertory productions. Academy director Mariane Shellenger, a former Milwaukee Ballet soloist, notes that the goal is "training the whole dancer, not just the legs." Pre-professional track students commit to 18–22 hours weekly, including mandatory variations and pas de deux classes.
Notable alumni include Emma Drake, now a member of Cincinnati Ballet II, and Lucas Vang, who danced with Tulsa Ballet before transitioning to Broadway's An American in Paris national tour.
University of Iowa Dance Department
Iowa City
For dancers seeking a conservatory experience within a research university, the University of Iowa's Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance offers one of the Midwest's most respected programs. The department, housed in the Hancher Auditorium complex, emphasizes ballet as foundational training while requiring equal proficiency in modern and choreography.
Professor Rebekah Kowalski, who performed with Pennsylvania Ballet for eleven years, leads the ballet division. BFA candidates take daily technique class, partner regularly with the university's opera and music programs, and present original choreography in the annual Dance Gala. Graduates frequently pivot to MFA programs, contemporary companies such as Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, or physical therapy and dance medicine careers.
The university also hosts summer intensives open to high school students, with need-based scholarships that draw applicants from across the rural Midwest.
Dancearts Iowa
Iowa City
A smaller, family-run institution founded in 1987 by Margaret Hall and now directed by her daughter Catherine Hall-Brokaw, Dancearts Iowa trains roughly 150 students annually in a converted Victorian storefront on Dubuque Street. The ballet program is selective: students audition for the pre-professional division at age ten and progress through seven levels of syllabus training.
Hall-Brokaw, who danced with the Joffrey Ballet and Metropolitan Opera Ballet, insists on live piano accompaniment for all intermediate and advanced classes—a rarity outside major metropolitan areas. "Musicality separates a technician from an artist," she says. "Our students hear phrasing differently because they dance with a pianist every day."
The school's annual spring showcase at the Englert Theatre regularly sells out, and recent graduates have enrolled at Indiana University, Butler University, and the University of Oklahoma's ballet program.
Cedar Rapids Ballet Theatre School
Cedar Rapids
Affiliated with the Cedar Rapids Ballet Theatre, this school survived the 2008 flood that devastated its downtown studio and rebuilt in the New Bohemia district. The program now serves over 200 students with a recreational track and a pre-professional track that feeds directly into the theatre's Nutcracker and full-length productions.
Artistic director Morgan McCollum, formerly of Kansas City Ballet, expanded the conservatory curriculum in 2019 to include men's scholarship classes, character dance, and choreography labs. "We're creating versatile performers who can step into a classical company or a commercial job in Vegas," McCollum explains. "Iowa dancers have a work ethic that surprises coastal directors."
The school also partners with the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics for annual injury screenings and nutrition workshops—practical support that keeps students healthy through growth spurts and intensive training schedules.
Training in a Smaller Market: Challenges and Advantages
Iowa's ballet students face real limitations. Master classes with visiting étoiles require travel budgets. Summer intensive auditions often mean overnight trips to Chicago or Minneapolis. And unlike students at the School of American Ballet or San Francisco Ballet School, Iowa dancers rarely walk from class into a
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