A nonprofit organization exposing children to great music, theater, and the beauty of expression through dance.
Pre-Ballet (ages 3-5)
An introductory class for the young child. Students learn body awareness, rhythm, coordination, and discipline.
Level I
The first step into a traditionally formatted ballet class. Students begin working at the barre, learning proper feet and arm positioning, terminology.
Level II & III
Placement is by ability, rather than age. Emphasis is placed on barre and center work, advancing steps learned at the previous levels.
Levels IV & V
These levels are stictly for Intermediate and Advanced dancers. New students must take a placement class for the director's evaluation. Students in these levels have the opportunity to join the City Youth Ballet's performing junior and senior companies.
(As more attention is placed on detail of technique, it is not uncommon for dancers in upper levels to remain in the same level for more than a year.)
About CYB
The City Youth Ballet is a chartered, not-for-profit performance organization in Johnson City, TN, offering an extensive repertoire of classical and contemporary ballet performances for the genereal public and school groups throughout the year. The CYB is privileged to perform with groups such as the East Tennessee Regional Symphony and the Johnson City Orchestra. The CYB provides high quality performances of classical ballets such as the Nutcracker, A Christmas Carol, Cinderella, and Coppelia, as well as contemporary and lesser known ballets such as Dracula, Peter and the Wolf, and Hans Christian Andersen. Original, commissioned works are also part of the CYB's repertoire.
Along with the expertise of Susan Pace, the CYB's Artistic Director, the CYB invites guest dancers and teachers from internationally celebrated companies and schools to conduct workshops for its dancers and for interested community members.
City Youth Ballet
history spans over 80 years in the community
In 1928, Reese Holloway, a talented dancer, and her sister Wilma., a conservatory trained pianist, introduced East Tennessee to classical ballet by opening the Holloway Dancing School of Johnson City (which later became Johnson City Ballet). Taking their training very seriously, the two sisters and their students traveled to New York City each summer to study with such 20th century dance luminaries as Andre Eglevsky, Igor Youskevitch, Leon Danielian, Thalia Mara, Robert Joffrey, and Arthur Mitchell. Other ballet notables - including Nowell Smith and Yvonne Hall of Dance Theater of Harlem, Robert Barnett of Atlanta Ballet and New York City Ballet, Anna-Marie Holmes of the Boston Ballet and Gelsey Kirkland of New York City Ballet and American Ballet Theater - traveled to Johnson City as guest dancers and teachers for the Holloway School and the Johnson City Ballet.
Throughout the years, Reese (later Reese Holloway Toohey) and Wilma (later Wilma Holloway Pace) taught and enriched the community with regular recitals and performances at the old Majestic Theater and the John Sevier Ballroom. Weekly performances were given for returning WWII soldiers at V.A. Theater at Mountain Home. Reese and Wilma began a tradition of quality instruction and performance which has continued for over 80 years.
With Wilma's daughter Susan Pace as the City Youth Ballet's Artistic Director, the tradition continues. Hardworking volunteers, parents, and dancers have helped realize the dream of a nonprofit, semi-professional dance company, supported by the community and starring the community's youth.
Artistic Director
Susan Pace
Susan Pace began her training at the Holloway Dancing School of Johnson City, Tennessee. At the age of 8, she was invited to study with Thalia Mara and Arthur Mahoney in New York City. At age 16, she was offered a scholarship to the School of American Ballet. At age 19, she was dancing professionally with the Miami Junior Civic Ballet. Ms. Pace studied with Rudolph Nureyev at the National Ballet of Canada, Leon Danielian of American Ballet Theatre, Melissa Hayden of Skidmore College in New York, Edward Caton and Mary Day of Washington School of Ballet, and others.
Ms. Pace has taught classical ballet for 40 years and has been the Director of the Johnson City Ballet since 1990. She has a broad view of classical ballet and, as a result, seeks out other professionals to help her train her students. Many of her students have gone on to dance in college or with major ballet companies, including the Atlanta Ballet, the Dance Theatre of Harlem, the Washington Ballet, the San Diego Ballet, Kentucky Ballet Theatre, Tulsa Ballet, and the San Antonio Ballet.
She has conducted outreach workshops in city recreation programs and public schools throughout Northease Tennessee. Ms. Pace received the Tennessee Governor’s School Outstanding Teacher of the Year award for 2003 and was recently named as a Tri-Cities Local Hero.
Artist in Residence
Aaron Jackson
Sarah Sims
Shannon Stinnett
Erin Cocker
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City Youth Ballet Studio
3501 W. Market St.
Johnson City, TN 37604
(423)434-2195
Ballet
Hip-Hop
*This class is highly recommended for students for 8 years of age to enhance their ballet training.
Pilates is a body conditioning technique designed to stretch, strengthen and balance the body.
Pilates targets the deep postural muscles within the body through a series of exercises aimed at building muscle strength and rebalancing the body.
Pilates is excellent for improving posture, strength and flexibility while aligning the body correctly.
Pilates teaches coordination, concentration and control of the body.
