Ellen Shea (right), with Patrick Corbin (center), principal Paul Taylor Dance Company, and Candace DeCaire (left) in Balanchine’s Minkus Pas de Trois

Bookings

The challenge is to find the right image or metaphor for each individual. That’s the key to unlock their understanding of the work and themselves.

Ellen Shea
Teaching Philosophy
Choreography

Training and coaching ballet dancers

Since 2005, Ellen has taught classical ballet, coached privately, and founded and directed a young dancer’s program in the New York City area.  Her students have been asked to join the San Francisco Ballet, Ballet West, Louisville Ballet, Harvard Ballet, and attend the most prestigious ballet schools and college conservatories including the School of American Ballet, Miami City Ballet School, the Pacific Northwest Ballet School, Purchase College Conservatory, the Paris Opera Ballet School and the Royal Ballet School in London. 

She has choreographed numerous works performed at SUNY Purchase College, and staged classics such as Swan Lake, Chopiniana, and Balanchine’s Serenade with former New York City Ballet soloist Diana White.  

Ellen is an outstanding teacher who is patient, thorough, and empathetic, yet demanding. I can always tell that she truly cares about her students. She has a genuine interest in finding ways to overcome any challenges that face them, whether technical, physical, artistic, or emotional, and she adapts her teaching methods as needed.

Diana White, Répétiteur, George Balanchine Trust and
Robbins Rights Trust
Former Soloist, New York City Ballet
International Guest Ballet Teacher
Student Zoe Wilson, Ballet West
With student Sophia Genusa, “Matilda” in the original Broadway cast

VARIATION FROM KERMESSE DE BRUGES

Private student, age 16. Recital performance, Purchase College, NY .

Private student for five years was cast as the “Prince” in New York City Ballet’s The Nutcracker. He was named an apprentice with the San Francisco Ballet in 2019, and a member of the corps de ballet in 2020.

COPPELIA

Staging of Coppelia, Act III, Concertdance, Purchase College, NY

Advanced and intermediate students from the Scarsdale Ballet Studio perform the Bolshoi Ballet’s version of Coppelia’s Friends, with guest artist Robert LaFosse, principal dancer from American Ballet Theater and New York City Ballet, in the role of Dr. Coppelius.

STUDENT AUDITION VIDEOS

Student audition video, age 15
Student audition video, age 15

Students earned scholarships and attended summer intensive programs at the School of American Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, American Ballet Theater, Boston Ballet, Pacific Northwest Ballet, Miami City Ballet, Kirov in Washington, Bolshoi in New York, Paris Opera Ballet, and Royal Ballet in London.

YAGP semi-final

Variation from Sleeping Beauty, YAGP semi-final, New York

Student, age 13, coached for her classical variation performance at the Youth America Grand Prix semi-final.