Ballet Minnesota has spent nearly four decades enriching lives in the Twin Cities community by creating and sharing the beauty of dance through education and public performances. What started out as a dream of Andrew and Cheryl Rist in the 1980s has grown into a pillar of the local community, touching audiences of over 5,000 each year through performances like its annual production of The Classic Nutcracker and the Minnesota Dance Festival.
Ballet Minnesota is proudly affiliated with Classical Ballet Academy (CBA), which serves as the official school of the company, providing world-class training to the next generation of dancers.
Elite Dance Academy was founded by Jan Stefanowski in 1978. In 1996, after 18 years at the Second Street Pike location, the studio moved to it's current 3000 square foot location on Almshouse Road. Over 500 families currently have one or more children enrolled.