Saratoga Arts First Night

The School of the Albany Berkshire Ballet (Albany, NY) and Cantarella School of Dance (Pittsfield, MA) are known for their outstanding balanced dance curriculums. Director Madeline Cantarella Culpo founded the School of Dance in 1955 with the goal of providing personal attention and training for students and professional dancers. Graduates have gone on to dance with the Albany Berkshire Ballet, Joffrey Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, Jacob's Pillow and the Pennsylvania, Ohio, Portland, and Washington Ballets. The School teaches the Cecchetti method of ballet developed by Enrico Cecchetti, world renowned teacher of the Ballet Russes and ballet master of Diaghilev Ballet Russes, who trained such dancers as Pavlova, Fokine and Nijinsky. Among his proteges was English ballerina Margaret Craske who later taught at the Juilliard School and Jacob's Pillow. From Miss Craske, Madeline Cantarella Culpo developed her technique.