OUR MISSION

The Rock School develops the whole dancer, enabling students to reach the highest standards of technique and artistry in a nurturing, supportive environment that elevates the art form, the dancer, and the audience.

THE ROCK SCHOOL: PAST & PRESENT

The Rock School for Dance is universally recognized as one of the world’s finest pre-professional training institutions. For 60 Years, it has served the Philadelphia community and beyond, enriching the lives of children in underresourced public schools and developing leading dancers with the world’s top dance companies.

A Northeastern University study published in the October 2023 journal Scientific Reports named The Rock School for Dance Education the best ballet school among the 1,603 U.S. ballet academies examined. The study looked at 6,363 ballet students over 21 years to note a correlation between where the students trained and their success in Youth America Grand Prix competitions and subsequent professional dance employment. More students from The Rock School proved successful than from any other American school.

George Balanchine and Barbara Weisberger established the School of Pennsylvania Ballet in 1963 as part of Philadelphia’s professional ballet company. The institutions separated in 1992 following a significant gift from philanthropist and community leader Dr. Milton Rock, who gave the growing school ownership of its building. The school was incorporated on November 17, 1992, as The Rock School for Dance Education. Bojan and Stephanie Spassoff led the School to significant growth and acclaim from 1986 through 2021. 

Today, The Rock School is led by President & Director Peter Stark, a former professional dancer regarded as one of the world’s finest teachers. The School operates on a $6.5 million annual budget with facilities that include The Rock School | Philadelphia and a suburban satellite school, The Rock School | West Chester. Nearly 200 weekly ballet classes bring hundreds of students aged three to 19 to The School’s studios. Boarding students find a safe and comfortable home at The Marine Club in South Philadelphia, and many receive both dance and college preparatory academic education at The Rock School.

The annual Summer Intensive welcomes 500 students worldwide to Philadelphia. Young dancers study for eight weeks with The Rock School’s faculty and a roster of guest artists from the world’s finest ballet and contemporary dance companies. The two-week Junior Intensive prepares less-experienced dancers for advancement in their home schools.

 The RockReach program has engaged K-12 participants from underresourced and economically imperiled communities since 2000. Residencies provide 32 or more weeks of structured dance and music programs to students in 12 Philadelphia Title 1 public and charter schools with few or no arts education offerings. The Engagement Program debuts in 2024 as a free after-school program to feed the bodies, minds, and souls of children in two neighborhood elementary schools.

The Rock School is at the forefront of progressive change in the dance field, modernizing ballet’s norms and opening avenues for participation in historically left-out places. Students are encouraged to wear shoes and tights that match each child’s skin color, and personal identities are celebrated in classes, performances, and self-expression. Sixty-five percent of the RockReach faculty are people of color, connecting students to role models who look like themselves succeeding in artistic work that brings life satisfaction.

The School’s annual production of Classic Nutcracker puts the increasingly diverse student body on the Miller Theatre’s stage for the community. Ticket prices start at $10, lowering the barrier to attendance by economically disadvantaged people. A sensory-friendly performance open only to RockReach students creates a positive theatre experience for young people they might not otherwise have. In all, nearly 3,700 students annually experience The Rock School’s Classic Nutcracker for free through live and virtual performances where audiences see a cast inclusive of race and body types, which epitomizes The Rock School’s commitment to inclusivity. 

Graduates of The Rock School find employment with premier dance companies worldwide and on Broadway stages. Rock students continue to receive top honors in the Prix de Lausanne, Youth America Grand Prix, World Ballet Competitions, USA International Ballet Competition, Moscow IBC, and Berlin Tanzolymp. The faculty includes distinguished dancers, instructors, and choreographers serving over 1,200 students. Today, The Rock School is proud to award over $1.4 million in annual scholarships.

ROCKREACH / COMMITMENT TO THE COMMUNITY

The Rock School for Dance’s RockReach program has engaged K-12 participants from underresourced and economically imperiled communities since 2000. The foundational residency programs provide 32 or more weeks of structured dance and music programs to students in 12 Philadelphia Title 1 public and charter schools with few or no arts education offerings. Students engage in creative movement and bucket drumming through a curriculum aligned with the socio-emotional and learning goals of each classroom and school. 

The Engagement Program begins in 2024 as a free after-school offering to feed the bodies, minds, and souls of students in two neighborhood elementary schools. Some children in the RockReach residencies express an interest in and aptitude for additional dance training. Recognizing that many South Philadelphia children also need nutritious meals and assistance with homework, the Engagement Program provides free dance classes, snacks and dinner, and supervised study time for those most in need.

The RockReach program empowers young people through arts participation, providing a path to their artistic and personal growth. With a structured, adaptable curriculum that reinforces and enhances educational goals, RockReach encourages student physical growth and coordination, emotional growth, empathy skills, creative problem-solving, identity development, and school and community engagement. For those children with undiscovered creative interests, RockReach opens a previously unknown world that could be their key to future success.

RockReach programs also incorporate special needs students and Individualized Education Programs into their unique offering, including students who are non-verbal, have Autism Spectrum Disorder, have mobility impairments, and are blind or low-sight. RockReach enriches these students’ education experience with professional teaching artists who understand students' unique needs and encourage them to explore movement and musicmaking in new ways.

Sixty-five percent of the RockReach faculty are people of color, connecting students to role models who look like themselves succeeding in artistic work that brings life satisfaction.

Ballet Fundamentals provides scholarships for RockReach students whose dance interests and aptitudes qualify them for the rigorous training at The Rock School’s South Philadelphia location. The scholarship removes financial barriers when local young people show an aptitude and interest in enhanced training. Children in this program are exposed to exceptional dance education while learning life skills such as cooperation, self-evaluation, commitment, creativity, and self-expression.