Learn more here or call the office 703/803-1055.

The Russell School of Ballet is home to the Fairfax Ballet. The Fairfax Ballet has trained exceptional dancers who have gone on to study and perform at some of the finest companies including the New York City Ballet, Joffrey Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, Boston Ballet, Basel Ballet, and Monte Carlo Ballet. Producing fine productions costs money. As these costs increase each year, and public funding decreases, we ask our friends in the private sector to keep our dance programs alive by supporting the Fairfax Ballet.

The Fairfax Ballet is a 501(c)(3) non-profit performing arts organization. Your tax deductible contribution will help keep the highest possible standards of artistic direction, keep ticket prices affordable, and continue to bring the beauty and joy of dance to our local community. All gifts will be gratefully acknowledged.

Membership Levels:

• Benefactor $200+
• Special Friend $150
• Sponsor $100
• Patron $75
• Contributor $50
• Very Special Grandparents $25+
• Jr. Member $20

Join the Guild by donating online

Or, download a form to join by check.

If your employer has a matching gift program, your contribution could double or triple. If you are unsure whether your company has matching programs or how to file for matching funds, please contact your corporate community relations officer or call our office for assistance.

This month’s edition of Pointe Magazine features an article about training at a small number of high-quality studios — including ours! Here’s an excerpt, but check out the whole article in the link above. 

It’s the American dream, ballet-style: A small-town girl works hard, turns heads in the big city and wins her way to the top of a world-class company. Teresa Reichlen is one such story: Before joining New York City Ballet, she studied at The Russell School of Ballet in Chantilly, VA. “It’s nice to be a big fish in a small pond to start out,” she says. Instead of always dancing in the corps, “you get to perform the challenging parts.”

Several small studios around the country are producing professional-caliber dancers. These schools may not receive the same publicity as their counterparts with companies or boarding schools attached, but they prove that you don’t need high-profile training to make it as a dancer. In fact, the extra attention, performance opportunities and lower-stress environment might be what you need to grow—not just as a dancer, but as an artist.

The Russell School of Ballet 
Chantilly, VA
Directors Karla and Hans Petry, the husband and wife team at The Russell School, offer a nurturing environment, and students and teachers become close in this tight-knit community.
Classes: Ballet, pointe, variations, character, jazz, tap, modern, lyrical, stretch
Number of students: 375–400 (audition required for higher-level classes)
Performances per year: Three
Competitions: No
Alumni: Teresa Reichlen (NYCB principal), Carrie Ellmore-Tallitsch (Martha Graham Dance Company principal), Ian Thatcher (formerly with SFB, PNB and Ballets de Monte Carlo)
Fun fact: The school is beginning its 47th year.