Ballet University, LLC

411 Prairie Heights Drive
MAC Sport Center, Highways M & 18-151
Verona, WI 53593
Ph: 608.235.8888
E-Mail: balletubiz@gmail.com

Master Teacher, Charmaine Ristow, has an extensive performance background coupled with worldwide experience in founding, performing, directing and choreographing for dozens of dance companies. She is also a certified Pilates instructor and Personal Trainer.

Ms. Ristow started dancing at the age of three and continued her education by studying ballet, choreography, modern, lyrical, jazz, and musical theatre with such notable teachers as David Howard, Xenia Chlistowa and Edward Villella. She earned her BS degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and has been awarded the Wisconsin Dance Council's Certificate of Distinction.

She has taught at the Wisconsin, Milwaukee, and Madison Civic Ballets, as well as the University of Wisconsin-Madison Major Dance Program, Stockholm Academie and Dance Masters of America.

Ms. Ristow gained invaluable knowledge while rehearsing and performing with Rudolf Nureyev in "Les Sylphides" in addition to studying and performing with the internationally acclaimed Jean-Paul Comelin's Milwaukee Ballet, touring throughout Europe with Stockholm's Cullbergballetten as well as dancing in the Edinburgh Festival.

She co-founded, performed and choreographed for the Wisconsin Dance Ensemble, Choreographer's Consortium, Kanopy Dance Theater, Madison Civic Ballet, and MetroDance, Inc. Charmaine's students can be seen performing with numerous major companies such as the Pacific Northwest Ballet and American Ballet Theatre.

Ms. Ristow was invited to give Master Classes and set choreography at National Taiwan Sport University in 2009.

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Ballet University Mission:

Our students have, for decades, been progressing and soaring with joy in the spirit of dance through unique, holistic, non-competitive, nurturing and individually tailored classes for all levels, ages, backgrounds and ultimate goals. Ballet is an unparalleled foundation for all other dance and athletic forms. Employing its highly successful, scientifically based anatomical and physiologic traditional Russian-based syllabus with a contemporary American sensibility, Ballet U students learn HOW to dance as opposed to the external mimicry of learning A dance, developing essential lifestyle skills, including organization, memorization, analyzation and self-discipline that lead to personal empowerment, maximized confidence and enhanced wellness.

Placed in small and level-appropriate classes by age, experience and physical, intellectual and emotional maturity, Ballet U students overcome personal challenges and become motivated to excel and master each skill, building strong foundations that help defray future injury. In a professionally prepared environment with Marley surfaced sprung wood floors, barres and mirrors, educational tools including visual aids, props and fitness equipment ensure that, through small classes and individually tailored teaching, every student will understand and progress to their greatest potential.

Ballet University Director Charmaine Ristow’s lifelong dance background includes training, performing, choreography and teaching worldwide for prominent professional schools, including the UW Dance Major program, and classical ballet companies, co-founding the original Madison Nutcrackers, Kanopy Dance, MetroDance, Inc. and Ballet Madison and performing with Rudolf Nureyev at the Milwaukee Ballet and Sweden's Cullberg Ballet. She holds a degree in Special Ed and Early Childhood Teaching from the UW-Madison, as well as being certified in Pilates and Personal Training. Having won many dance awards, Ms. Ristow’s alumni can be seen dancing with American Ballet Theatre, Houston Ballet, Pacific Northwest, Chicago and Milwaukee Ballets and working as noted physicians, architects, attorneys and more.

Class Placement:

Students are placed in the most suitable class by age, experience, motivation, self-discipline, previous attendance, maturity, and physical development. Student's initial class serves as a placement audition. Promotion is based on assimilation of the current vocabulary and mastery of movements for each level, which usually requires more than one year's study. Pointe work begins about age 11 after four year's training. Students are individually evaluated for readiness, and then biweekly attendance is REQUIRED.

Recent Ballet Kudo News:

Our thirteen-year old student, Elizabeth Pischel, won the Bronze Medal/Third Place in the Junior Contemporary Division at the Youth America Grand Prix in Chicago on February 6, 2010. Elizabeth was invited to attend the YAGP Summer Intensive in New York and will be attending the North Carolina Dance Theatre Academy this fall.

Our graduating seniors, Becca Shulla and Brittany Hammer, have both been accepted at several major university dance programs including the University of Arizona, Butler, Texas Christian and the University of Utah/Ballet West and both have chosen to attend the University of Arizona.

Our college graduate/resident professional, Ella Rosewood, performed a Janis Joplin piece choreographed by Ms. Ristow this past March and performed her solo concert in Madison in December 2011, with commissioned works by several New York choreographers, which she also performed in New York. She has auditioned for several major companies, including Pilobolus, over the past few months and participated in the American Dance Festival and Rates Workshops. She is currently a student in New York City and dances profesionally with JoAnn Mendl Shaw's Equus Project.