About Ballet & Beyond
Ballet & Beyond is high quality, professional ballet training. This boutique studio goes beyond traditional ballet instruction. Karen's personalized instruction to all ages, from 3.5 years to Pre-professional and adult, includes promoting confidence, growth, and mutual respect among the dancers.
Dancers who attend Ballet & Beyond make it into prestigious summer dance programs such as The School of American Ballet, Houston Ballet, Boston Ballet, Charlotte Ballet, The Rock School of Dance, Orlando Ballet and Joffrey Ballet.
They also make it into Miami Dade Magnet programs such as Southwood Middle School, South Miami Middle School, and New World School of the Arts.
About Karen Hirst Kennedy
Biography:
Ballet & Beyond was founded in 2009 by the Artistic Director Karen Hirst Kennedy. She has danced professionally and taught ballet to all ages for 30 years. She started her ballet training in Buenos Aires, Argentina at the Escuela Nacional de Danzas. She continued in Dallas with the Dallas Ballet and the Dallas Metropolitan Ballet.
Professional Career:
Her professional career began with Boston Ballet II, Boston Ballet and the Washington Ballet, where she performed leading roles, danced at the White House, and performed in Europe and in Asia. Later she joined Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre and after that Fort Worth Dallas Ballet.
Teaching Experience:
Karen has taught Ballet, Point and Variations to all ages throughout the US at: Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre School, Fort Worth Dallas Ballet School, Tuzzer Ballet, and Chamberlain Ballet in Dallas, Texas; Mencia Pikieris School of Dance, New Image, and New World School of the Arts High School and College in Miami, Florida. She has been the principal director/instructor of Ballet & Beyond since 2008.
Education:
Karen earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree from Southern Methodist University and is bilingual in English and Spanish.
