About

Dancers for each production are normally chosen from open auditions. They range in age from 6 to 18 years with the average age of the corps de ballet dancers being 14. Daily training is essential for the corps dancers to be technically prepared and all rehearsal time, approximately 12 hours each week, is strictly in addition to class time. At the corps de ballet level, the dancer is at the studio perhaps 15 to 22 hours each week for class; at the junior corps de ballet level, the student is training an average of 10 hours weekly. Most of our young children study classical ballet at least 2 hours weekly, with many studying much more.

CODA dancers have rehearsed and performed alongside guest dancers from New York City Ballet, American Repertory Ballet, New Jersey’s Garden State Ballet, Alvin Ailey, Catanach Ballet Theater, and the Joffrey Ballet. Working with such renowned choreographers as Peter Anastos, Frank Ohman, Yvonne Lamb Scudiery and Daniel Catanach give the young dancers the experience they can put to full use later in their careers.

The Company of Dance Arts has mounted successful productions at regional venues including the the Count Basie Theatre in Red Bank, Monmouth University’s Guggenheim Theater in West Long Branch, Rutger’s University, Camden, the historic Strand Theatre in Lakewood, the Mary B. Burch Theater in Newark, Red Bank Regional High School, Red Bank, the Park Theater in Union City, and Montclair High School in Montclair.