Art Organizations Form Alliance to Strengthen Ballet Opportunities in West Michigan
Two Ballet Organizations Find Growth Together During COVID Pandemic 

Grand Rapids, MI: Deos Contemporary Ballet, a professional ballet company based in West Michigan, and the Michigan Ballet Academy have formed a strategic alliance in their desire to strengthen ballet education and professional performance in the Grand Rapids area

The worldwide pandemic has challenged the growth of many arts organizations. Deos Ballet and MBA have met this challenge by creatively sharing their resources. Deos Ballet will hold their future company classes and rehearsal at the Michigan Ballet Academy. Advanced-level students at MBA will have new opportunities to perform when Deos has appropriate roles available.

Irina Vassileni, the Artistic Director of the Michigan Ballet Academy, calls the collaboration “an exciting opportunity for our students and the community. Working closely together will be invaluable to our students and give them a firsthand glimpse of life as a professional dancer.” Ms. Vassileni is a former ballerina with the world-renowned Bolshoi Ballet in Moscow and a strong advocate for classical dance education. She brings years of experience as an international master teacher in the Vaganova method.

Students trained with the Vaganova method are well prepared for a professional career, making the alliance a natural one. “West Michigan has excellent ballet training, but few professional opportunities,” says Tess Sinke, Creative Director of Deos Contemporary Ballet. “This alliance with MBA will help Grand Rapids to better retain its professional dancers and fuel our own growth as we add more performances each year.”

More information about the collaboration can be found at: https://www.deosballet.com/mba-alliance

About Deos Contemporary Ballet: Founded in 2018, Deos Contemporary Ballet uplifts artists through a culture focused on diversity, wellness, and empathy. Deos inspires a broader audience through innovation in education, and both film and live performances. Deos makes contemporary ballet accessible to all through original and relatable works of art.

About Michigan Ballet Academy: Michigan Ballet Academy is the premier ballet training school in West Michigan. Under the direction of international dancer and teacher, Irina Vassileni, MBA provides students the opportunity to train using the internationally recognized Vaganova method and offers a systematic curriculum applied by the entire professional faculty.