CONGRATULATIONS MISS BONNIE AND ALL HER STUDENTS WHO EXAMINED WITH THE AMERICAN BALLET THEATER! On May 15, 2010, the Viera Dance Conservatory was honored to have Raymond Lukens* examine several of VDC's students in the American Ballet Theater curriculum levels Primary through Level 3.  The Viera Dance Conservatory is proud to announce that all of the students passed their examination!  As a result of such notable success, Miss Bonnie now holds the title of Affiliate Teacher with the American Ballet Theater and is currently  the only affiliate teacher in the Southeastern United States! *Raymond Lukens has been a faculty member of the American Ballet Theatre (ABT) Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis (JKO) School since 2005. He was director of Boston Ballet II and Ballet Master for Boston Ballet. In New York City, he has also taught for American Ballet Theatre, the ABT Studio Company, The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, The Ailey School, The Juilliard School, Peridance International, Marymount Manhattan College and Dance Theatre of Harlem. Mr. Lukens has taught in North and Latin America, Australia, Europe, Japan and South Africa. He was Ballet Master for Hartford Ballet, Cincinnati Ballet, and Alberta Ballet. As a dancer Mr. Lukens toured extensively, and performed the works of Van Dyk, Balanchine, Petipa, Bournonville, Lifar, Nijinska and Skibine among others. He obtained the highest qualifications as a pedagogue in London with the Cecchetti Society. Mr. Lukens is ballet teacher for the Dance Educators of America (DEA) Teacher Training School and choreographed the set exercises and variations for DEA’s Ballet Competition. Mr. Lukens together ABT JKO School Principal, Franco De Vita, directed the Hamlyn School of Dance in Florence, Italy; and authored the ABT National Training Curriculum. Mr. Lukens created the syllabi for the New York University Masters Degree program in ABT Ballet pedagogy.

The Viera Dance Conservatory, LLC is proud to include the AMERICAN BALLET THEATER® National Training Curriculum, a breakthrough 8 level program that combines high quality artistic training with the basis of dancer health and child development.  The ABT® National Training Curriculum consists of a comprehensive set of age-appropriate, out-come-based guidelines to provide the highest quality ballet training to dance students of all ages and skill levels.  Primary through level three will be taught by ABT® Certified Teacher, Bonnie Callahan, who has successfully completed the ABT® Teacher Training Intensive in Primary through Level Three of the ABT® National Training Curriculum.