Houston Ballet's Ben Stevenson Academy

Houston Ballet's Ben Stevenson Academy is a ballet training school affiliated with the Houston Ballet. The academy is housed in Houston Ballet Center for Dance in Houston, Texas.

Houston Ballet's Ben Stevenson Academy
General information
Name	Houston Ballet's Ben Stevenson Academy
Local name	Houston Ballet Academy
Year founded	1955 (1955)
Founder	Tatiana Semenova
Principal venue	Houston Ballet Center for Dance
Website	houstonballet.org/about/academy/
Senior staff
Director	Jennifer Sommers
Artistic staff
Ballet Master	Claudio Muñoz
Associate Director of Programs and Productions	Beth Everitt
Other
Parent company	Houston Ballet

History

During the 1950s,^[1] Houston Ballet Academy was established under the leadership of Tatiana Semenova, a former dancer with the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo.^[2][3] In July 2003, Houston Ballet Academy was renamed Houston Ballet's Ben Stevenson Academy in honor of Ben Stevenson, former artistic director of the professional company and director of the academy.^{[citation needed]} Shelly Power has been the Academy's director.^[4]

Divisions

Main School Division

Children age seven and older may audition for admission into Levels 1-8 of the Main School program. Auditions are held twice a year. Students follow a structured sequence of training stages designed to increase their technical skills, stamina and discipline in accordance with their age and physical development.

Pre-Professional Division

Houston Ballet II (HBII) is the top level and pre-professional division of the Academy, and students attend daily class taught by instructors from both the Academy and the Houston Ballet company.