Wissahickon Dance Academy (WDA) was established over 30 years ago as a ballet school by Nancy Malmed. Currently owned by Christina Castro-Tauser, a Teacher, and choreographer, with professional Ballet experience and MFA in Dance from Temple University.
Ballet classes range from pre-ballet through pre-professional and adult; in addition, classes are offered in jazz, tap, modern, and pilates.
The school’s curriculum meets the needs of the casual dancer as well as the dancer on track for a professional career.
WDA’s professional ballet faculty teaches classical ballet - the Vagonava, Cecchetti, and Balanchine methods emphasize physical strength, flexibility, body placement, and artistic expression.
WDA students have been accepted to prestigious summer programs:
American Ballet Theater, School of American Ballet, Joffrey Ballet, Bolshoi Ballet, Boston Ballet, Alvin Ailey, Kirov Academy of Ballet, Chatauqua, Juilliard
WDA graduates have danced with professional dance companies:
Joffrey Ballet, Carolina Ballet, Ballet West, Donetsk Ballet, Alvin Ailey II, Suzanne Farrell Ballet, Ballet Hispanico, Leja Dance Theater, Ballet Met, Boston Ballet II, Martha Graham and on Broadway in " Lion King" "Wicked" and "Cinderella"
WDA graduates have received college scholarships in dance:
New York University, Indiana University, Northwestern University, Fordham University, Oklahoma State University, Temple University, University of Hartford, Mercyhurst College, Marymount College
A Winter's Dream is presented annually by the International Ballet Exchange (IBE), a non-profit organization housed under WDA's roof. IBE gives WDA students the opportunity to perform with a professional ballet company and also provides free ballet classes to schools in the Philadelphia School District in their residency programs. For information about the A Winter's and IBE, go to www.internationalballet.org
WDA students have study abroad opportunities:
Intermediate and advanced students have studied in Donetsk, Ukraine on three occasions and studied at the National Ballet of Cuba in 2013.