What is the Excellence in Dance Studio?
The Excellence in Dance Studio was founded by the late Nan Klinger. Nan was involved in dance education since 1953 when she began her first studio in the basement of her home. In 1966, she was chosen as one of forty ballet teachers nationwide for a Ford Foundation project to develop young ballet talent. This project brought her in close contact with George Balanchine, the New York City Ballet and many prominent artists in the dance world. The experience inspired Nan to start her own youth ballet company in 1975. Since that time, the Excellence in Dance Studio has been the home of the Cuyahoga Valley Youth Ballet Company, one of the first pre-professional youth ballet companies in the nation. Mia Klinger, the current artistic director, continues the tradition of excellence to this very day.
