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Jennifer Sansone:

Student at L'Ecole de Ballet from 1992 - 2007
"I owe much of my dancing success to Clarissa and all of the faculty at L'Ecole de Ballet. I embarked on my dancing journey when I was just three years old and have stayed with L'Ecole de Ballet ever since. Because of my early exposure to dance I grew to fall in love with it and this fabulous studio. I took classes with distinguished faculty members such as Scott Ranagan, Mary Demaso, Jennifer Hamilton, and Sasha Lunev. I have also performed extensively with The Dance Prism since 1996 performing in productions such as The Nutcracker, Cinderella, Coppelia, Make Way for Ducklings, Sleeping Beauty, and Alice in Wonderland. I have danced many roles including Clara and Spanish Chocolate in The Nutcracker and Spring Fairy in Cinderella. I also participated in several summer programs including Boston Ballet's Young Dancers Workshop at age 13, Virgina School for the Arts Summer Dance Intensive at age 14, and Boston Ballet's Dance Lab at their Newton facilities at age 15. My versatile and decorated dance training enabled me to receive the Presidential Arts Scholarship at The George Washington University in Washington, D.C. I am currently pursuing a Bachelor of Science degree in Public Health and minors in Psychology and Dance. I perform in two modern dance concerts at The George Washington University twice a year as well as belonging to several dance organizations on campus: Balance, The GW Ballet Group and Dance Performance Project which aims to expose GW dance students to dance opportunities all over the DC area. Here is the link to The George Washington University Department of Theatre and Dance:

 Kim Fahle:

I was a student at L'ecole de Ballet for 15 years. I essentially grew up here. At L'ecole I took ballet, tap and jazz classes from instructors who were not only very talented, but who were dedicated to helping me improve. L'ecole de Ballet inspired me to love to dance. I wanted to spend my life dancing, which led me to participate in various summer programs such as Boston Ballet's Young Dancer's Workshop, Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet's summer program, and Boston Ballet's Dance Lab. Also, through L'ecole I became involved in Dance Prism, a local ballet company. I performed in many shows for Dance Prism for over 10 years such as The Nutcracker, Cinderalla, Make Way for Ducklings, and Alice in Wonderland, just to name a few. L'ecole de Ballet and Dance Prism gave me a passion for performing that I still use today as and English and Theatre major at Virginia Wesleyan College. Though I am not in a formal dance program anymore, I still try to take classes whenever I can. I love to come back to L'ecole and take classes because I am welcomed back with open arms. I will always love L'ecole de Ballet because it is really like a second home to me, and faculty like Clarissa Eaton, Brenda Lavin, and Mary Demaso are more than just my teachers, they have become my mentors and my friends.

 Michelle McPartlan

I started dancing with Clarissa at L'Ecole de Ballet over twenty years ago, and I still remember my first year of class. Although I had always hated the dance classes my mother brought me to before, I loved Clarissa. She has a way with young people that really makes them love what she is teaching. Over the years I've taken classes in ballet, tap and jazz with a myriad of wonderfully talented teachers and fellow students, and went on to teach tap at L'Ecole for several years. Clarissa introduced me to Dance Prism and their annual Nutcracker production early on and since then I've performed in numerous shows with the company including Make Way for Ducklings, Alice in Wonderland and Cinderella. In addition to providing a wonderful education in how to dance, Clarissa and the staff at L'ecole really strive to broaden their students' education about dance history, theater and music as well as areas outside of the arts. I still smile when I think of coming to class each day with new interesting words I'd come across, trying to find one that Clarissa didn't already know! 

I've left MA several times over the past years to attend both college and veterinary school, but I've always kept my love for dance, trying several new styles including flamenco and modern, and have found that the base of knowledge I gained from my time with L'Ecole is invaluable. On breaks between schools I was always welcome to return for classes and performances, and now that I am back in the area permanently it feels like I never left. As a Veterinarian in the area, my schedule prevents me from attending classes at L'Ecole as much as I would like, but I try to make it whatever I can. Clarissa, Mary Demaso and the entire L'ecole de Ballet and Dance Prism communities have really become a second family to me. I look forward to one day sending my own children to L'Ecole because I know that their experience will be just as wonderful as mine has been.