International Ballet Theatre & Academy

Follow International Ballet Academy & Theatre | Bellevue, Wa 🧑🏻‍🩰

25 years of International Ballet Academy. And another beautiful summer to remember🩰

Today, we celebrated the finale of our 25th Anniversary Summer Intensive with a special student presentation.

Some of our dancers spent six full weeks with us. Others joined us for a shorter part of the summer. But every single one of them leaves stronger, more confident, and more expressive than when they arrived.

✨ Because progress in ballet is never only about perfect technique.
It is about learning. Trying. Listening. Growing. And discovering how much you truly love to dance.

There are no “bad dancers” in a classroom filled with students willing to learn. There are dancers at different stages of their journey, each with something of their own to discover.

And perhaps the greatest joy for a teacher is watching that moment when technique becomes something more, when a student simply loves being in the room and loves to dance.

To every dancer who shared this summer with us: bravo!
Thank you for your dedication, your trust, your hard work, and your joy. We are incredibly proud of you.

Open Enrollment for the 2026 - 2027 Academy Year is still available 🩰

Follow International Ballet Academy & Theatre | Bellevue, Wa and join us!

🩰 Sometimes a professional career begins with something as simple as an observation class.

Nikita Baryshnikov remembers coming to watch ballet as a child, with absolutely no intention of becoming a dancer.

One class a week became two. Then three. Eventually, ballet took over the schedule.

✨ His path continued far beyond the studio where it began.

From International Ballet Academy to the Bolshoi Ballet Academy, Tanz Akademie Zürich, Houston Ballet Academy and Houston Ballet II. Today, Nikita dances with Houston Ballet’s Corps de Ballet.

And stories like Nikita’s are especially meaningful to us.

🧑🏻‍🩰 At International Ballet Academy, we believe every student’s path is their own. We are proud to be part of their beginning, proud to watch where their talent and dedication take them, and always happy to welcome them back through our doors.

Once part of IBA, always part of our ballet family.

🎭 Nikita Baryshnikov
Houston Ballet | Corps de Ballet
International Ballet Academy Alumnus

PROFESSIONAL PROGRAM 2026–2027 🩰

For dancers ready to take ballet seriously and build toward a professional future.

✨ WHY IBA?

▪️ Intensive training based on the Vaganova Method
▪️ Personalized coaching
▪️ Internationally experienced faculty
▪️ Performance opportunities with International Ballet Theatre
▪️ Graduates have continued to prestigious universities, ballet schools and companies including Juilliard, Harvard, UC Berkeley, Stuttgart Ballet, Dutch National Ballet and Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater

🩰 PROFESSIONAL DIVISION

▪️ Approx. ages 14–18
▪️ 3–4 year program
▪️ 76+ training hours per month
▪️ Monday–Friday + Saturday

🩰 PRE-PROFESSIONAL DIVISION

▪️ Approx. ages 13–14
▪️ 1–2 year program
▪️ 56+ training hours per month
▪️ Monday–Friday + Saturday

📍 FINAL IN-PERSON AUDITION

August 13 | 5:30–7:00 PM
International Ballet Academy | Bellevue
Audition Fee: $100
⏳ Application deadline: August 12

🎥 CAN’T ATTEND IN PERSON?

Video auditions are accepted through August 13.

Your audition video should include:

▪️ Barre: pliés, tendu, adagio
▪️ Center: adagio, petite allegro, grand allegro & pirouettes

📋 WHO CAN APPLY?

▪️ Minimum 3 years of formal ballet training
▪️ Admission is by audition and consultation with the Artistic Director

🔗 HOW TO APPLY

The audition form, complete requirements, tuition information and full Professional Program details are available on our website.

Direct link will be available in our bio.

💬 Questions? Send us a DM or contact the IBA Front Desk. We’ll be happy to help you through the audition process.

✨ Final Audition: August 13.
Applications are now open.

PART 3 | Beyond Ballet

“I teach with more ease, more intuition, and more gifts than I had as a dancer.”

That single sentence captures everything about Stephanie Saland’s philosophy.

For her, ballet is never about control or having all the answers. It is about curiosity, openness, trust, and creating an environment where students discover movement for themselves.

Throughout the interview, she speaks about leaving the ego behind, embracing lifelong learning, and meeting every dancer with genuine attention and care. She believes that great teaching is not about directing people. It is about making space for growth.

That philosophy is one of the many reasons we are proud to have Stephanie Saland as part of the International Ballet Academy & Theatre faculty.

Watch Part 3.

Archival photographs and video courtesy of http://StephanieSaland.com and publicly available archival materials. All rights belong to their respective owners.

PART 2 | How Stephanie Found Vera Altunina

Sometimes the most important collaborations begin completely by chance.

Stephanie shares the story of meeting Vera Altunina while teaching in San Francisco. Neither of them lived there. Yet one conversation led to a professional relationship that has lasted for years.

What brought them together was more than ballet. It was a shared philosophy of teaching, curiosity, and respect for every student’s individual path.

Today, Stephanie is a valued member of the faculty at International Ballet Academy & Theatre, where she continues to mentor dancers from around the world while maintaining an international teaching career.

Watch Part 2.

Archival photographs and video courtesy of http://StephanieSaland.com and publicly available archival materials. All rights belong to their respective owners.

PART 1 | A Lifetime in Ballet

Some careers shape a résumé.

Others shape an art form.

Stephanie Saland entered the School of American Ballet at the age of 15. Just 3 years later, George Balanchine personally invited her to join the New York City Ballet during the historic Stravinsky Festival. She would go on to spend 21 years with the company, dancing leading roles under Balanchine and principal roles in Jerome Robbins’ repertoire. Her career also included performances with Nureyev and Friends, Giselle alongside Alexander Godunov, and numerous PBS productions including Live From Lincoln Center and Dance in America.

In this first part of our conversation, Stephanie reflects on a life in ballet, the extraordinary artists who shaped her journey, and the creative era that defined an entire generation.

Today, that same experience continues to inspire dancers at International Ballet Academy & Theatre.

Watch Part 1.

Archival photographs and video courtesy of http://StephanieSaland.com and publicly available archival materials. All rights belong to their respective owners.