Dance Program for Children at The Performing Arts School at bergenPAC

Updated: Aug 22, 2023

Dance is one of the first and purest art forms that young children enjoy. Whether they just want to have fun with friends or develop their craft seriously, The Performing Arts School at bergenPAC is the place to be!

Our dance program, under the direction of the accomplished and illustrative, Roberta Mathes, offers year-round instruction in classical ballet, jazz, modern, contemporary, Broadway & rhythm tap, hip hop and more! We have a stellar NYC based faculty-some of whom have worked together since the inception of our program in 2005! We bring the NYC dance vibe to New Jersey!

Our newest faculty member is a former graduate of our program. Esthee Lee's dance journey began at bergenPAC when she was 8 and now at 24, she is teaching for us! Esther Lee received a BFA in dance from the prestigious Alvin Ailey/Fordham Program and received her master’s degree in Education. Esther dances professionally but enjoys giving back to us by teaching contemporary and hip hop. “Our young dancers love Esther’s pragmatic approach to teaching. Her choreography is a beautiful blend of what we taught her here and what she learned at The Ailey School,” Mathes said. “How proud I am of her wonderful achievements in dance and her tenacity to follow her dreams to perform!”

Another aspect which makes our dance program special is that our students have many opportunities to perform on the renowned bergenPAC stage and work with industry professionals and have many outreach and community service opportunities. While there are recreational classes for ages 5 years old through adults, we also have a dynamic Pre-Professional Program for those dancers wishing to have a career in the performing arts. It is designed for the more serious-minded student, ages 11 to 18 wishing to improve their "technique" and unlock their true potential. We frequently bring in guest artists from New York City to teach or give master classes. Our students have been accepted to major college dance programs and New York City institutions, including American Ballet Theatre, The Alvin Ailey Dance School, and American Academy of Ballet.

Classes are offered throughout the year, and students can sign up at any time. To learn more and see what programs are currently available, visit The Performing Arts School at bergenPAC.

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For more specific questions about dance classes reach out to our director at rmathes@bergenpac.org.