OUR HISTORY
Mary Margaret Holt opened the Norman dance studio known as Classical Ballet Academy in 1978
Long before opening CBA, MM taught the now owner, Julie Blacksten, when Julie was only eight years old. Julie trained with college students who wanted to learn ballet or improve their skills and continued to study with MM until she graduated with her degree in Ballet Performance from OU. Mary Marget Holt went on to dance as a Principal Ballerina with the Houston Ballet.
Mary Margaret later returned to Norman, where she accepted a part-time position as an instructor at OU and opened her own ballet studio. Having kept in touch with Julie over the years, she asked her to teach classes at her new studio. A year later, MM accepted a full-time position in the School of Dance at OU and is now Dean of Fine Arts. Julie was graduating with a degree in Ballet Pedagogy when asked to take over MM's classes. Julie happily accepted and has been running Classical Ballet Academy ever since!
OUR MISSION
It is our goal that every student learns to appreciate their talent in the performing arts. Each child will develop into the dancer they want to become, whether for recreational dancing or to follow their dream to become a professional performer. We want each dancer to find that spark deep inside themselves and express it through the art of dance. By doing so, they learn more about themselves and their place in the world.
“We should consider every day lost on which
we have not danced at least once.”
ACCOLADES
Many of our students have been selected for the advanced study in ballet at schools such as: Pacific Northwest Ballet, PNB Professional Program, School of American Ballet (New York City Ballet), San Francisco Ballet, Joffrey Ballet, ABT, Alvin Ailey, Alvin Ailey Professional Program, Boston Ballet, Philadelphia Ballet, Ballet Met, Ballet Austin, Kansas City Ballet, Boston Conservatory, Ballet Aspen, Oklahoma City Ballet, Summer Wind, Brigham Young, Anaheim Ballet, and the highly selective Oklahoma Summer Arts Institute at Quartz Mountain, as well as numerous other schools. Students have also continued their professional dance by performing with such companies as the Pacific Northwest Ballet, Carolina Ballet, Oklahoma Festival Ballet, Oklahoma City Ballet, Tulsa Ballet, Perpetual Motion Dance Co., American Spirit Dance Co., Missoula Children's Theatre, Staibdance Co. and many others!
Congratulations to our seniors who graduated from high school recently. Hannah Ferguson will attend Southeast Missouri State and major in Musical Theatre and dance. Charlotte Johnson will attend the University of Oklahoma will be auditioning to major in dance.
Congratulations to Charlotte Johnson and Lily Rowland who were accepted to study dance for the second year at the Oklahoma Summer Arts Institute at Quartz Mountain!
Congratulations to Kaylin Wang who was accepted into the OU Ballet Summer Intensive.
Congratulations to our newest Norman Dance Theatre company members for the 2025/2026 season: Skylar Beattie, Neely Boyd, Stella Cheek, Cali Cullens, Claire Eskam, Karlee Hendershot, Hannah Kate Hodges, Olivia Lepak, Charlotte Massey, Quinn McDermott, Gracie Northup, Amelie Oxsen, Carolyn Ringus, Preslee Sweeney, Emalynn Wilson, Everly Blunt, Amelia Jay, Violet Lepak, Cecilia Logsdon, Sara Powers, Emersyn Quick-Shearer, Evangeline Quick-Shearer, Winter Roberts, and Charlotte Ziegler.
