on a high note
Ordway Conservatory’s Director Instills Confidence, Leadership in Students By Katrina Wilson
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Photos provided by Ordway Conservatory
ara Ordway, artistic director and owner of Ordway Conservatory in Manassas, ensures her students obtain more than a world-class ballet education at her institution; they also gain health, confidence and leadership skills. “For ballet students, excellent training is paramount,” Ordway said. “Without proper technique, a dancer can’t stay injury free or reach the professional level. It’s always been important to me to instill confidence in my students.” She said very few ballet students end up in a professional company, but every child who comes into her class has a tremendous amount to gain from ballet. “Ballet is unique in that it’s very physically demanding, it requires acting skills and it is an art form,” she said. “You get to be an athlete, an actor and an artist all in one.”
Classes at Ordway Conservatory The classes at Ordway Conservatory allow individuals from young to older to experience the uniqueness of ballet and other dance styles and techniques. “Ordway Conservatory is designed as a mock-company. We have three levels within our ‘company’ that our dancers rise through. They take class together and they are cast in two full-length
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September 2020 prince william living
Ordway Conservatory offers classes for youth, ages 3 and up, as well as adults.
productions throughout the year. Our cast is 100% students,” Ordway said. The conservatory has a creative movement class for dancers age 3 who are potty trained. Their classes explore movement through imagination and teach the names of basic steps and positions.
