The CSU Dance Preparatory Academy is year-round classical ballet training for children, teens, and adults, taught on Columbus State’s RiverPark campus at the Rankin. Dancers start as young as three and progress level by level, at their own pace, with the same teachers season after season. Some go on to dance seriously; all of them learn discipline, music, and how it feels to get better at something hard.

How the Academy works

Classes run in monthly sessions from August through May, so you register for one month at a time and stay as long as it suits your family. Register by the 15th of each month to avoid the late fee. Every dancer pays one annual program fee per year. New dancers are placed by age for the youngest levels and by the instructor’s assessment from Preparatory up; if you are not sure where to start, call us and we will help you choose.

Levels

• Creative Movement (ages 3–4) — the eight elements of movement, one class a week
• Pre-Ballet (ages 5–7) — the structure of a ballet class, music awareness, first terminology
• Preparatory and Elementary A/B — classical technique in more depth
• Intermediate A and Intermediate B — more rigorous training; pointe, contemporary, and outreach performance opportunities as dancers are ready
• Advanced — the most demanding program, with ballet, pointe, variations, and strength and conditioning
• Adult Ballet — any age, any experience, evenings

Intermediate and Advanced dancers may also book private lessons, join the National Honor Society for Dance Arts, and take a summer Julymester course.

The 2026–27 year

Fall semester runs August 10 to December 5 and spring January 4 to May 1, with classes Monday through Saturday. The Academy is closed Labor Day (September 7), Thanksgiving break (November 23–28), Martin Luther King Jr. Day (January 18), and spring break (April 5–10). See the full class schedule for days, times, and studios by level.

What to wear

Each level has a dress code so dancers can move freely and teachers can see their line. The DPA dress code (PDF) lists what to bring to the first class, and costumes and apparel for the recital are ordered through the Academy each fall.

Questions about placement, fees, or the schedule? Call 706-507-8070 or email assistance@columbusstate.edu. Choose a level below to see this month’s sessions and register.