Ballet Quad Cities School of Dance
309.786.2677 - 617-17 Street Rock Island, IL
Our Philosophy
BQC School of Dance is the premiere ballet and dance school in the Quad Cities, offering a wide variety of classes and unmatched opportunities to perform in professional productions. The dancers who study with us have chosen to receive the best dance training in the Quad Cities.
The school offers a wide variety of classes from beginning through advanced levels. Classes in Creative Movement, Ballet, Pointe, Jazz, Modern, Tap, Boys Class, and Adult Ballet are being offered this semester. New classes for the spring include: Belly Dancing, Hip-Hop and ZOOMBA.
Each dancer is carefully evaluated by the faculty then placed in a class suitable for his or her technical ability. Our class size remains small so that each dancer receives the care and attention they deserve.
Our faculty is second to none in the Midwest. The professional staff provides a challenging dance environment for every level. Whether the student’s goal is to study dance as a hobby or to prepare for a professional dance career we provide a sound foundation that emphasizes strong technique, while encouraging the individual dancer’s artistry and expression.
Our staff recognizes that we live in a society where television, technology, and video games compete with the arts during the development of our children. Our classes encourage children to grow and explore movement using their minds, imagination, and bodies while instilling confidence and a foundation for success - in dance as well as other areas — that children have for the rest of their lives.
Performance Opportunities
Students have the opportunity to perform in a variety of venues. Our Spring Dance Program is a professional production showcasing the exceptional talents of dancers at all levels. The school is repeatedly asked to perform during prime hours at many community festivals. Our affiliation with Ballet Quad Cities offers students of all ages the chance to dance with the professional company dancers in The Nutcracker. Occasionally, advanced level students are chosen to perform in some of Ballet Quad Cities’ main stage productions throughout the year.
Faculty at City Center School of the Arts
Margaret Carton graduated from Washington University School of Medicine in 1990 with a Masters of Science in Physical Therapy. She has extensive training in manual therapy including myofascial release and muscle energy technique as well as cranial techniques for TMD. Ms. Carton has experience treating a wide variety of orthopedic diagnosis, sports, and dance-related injuries in a hospital-based outpatient clinic. She is Stott Pilates certified and has successfully integrated this treatment approach for trunk and shoulder girdle stabilization.
Heidi Dunn, an instructor with City Center School of the Arts as well as a Ballet Quad Cities company member, teaches high level ballet and pointe. Ms. Dunn brings a strong sense of classical technique to the class room. She is able to transfer the impotence of artistry in a dancer from her stage experiences to her students.
Margaret Huling has a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the University of Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music where she studied ballet and modern dance from 2000-2004. Along with professional performance experience, she has enjoyed teaching dance at City Center School of the Arts since 2004. Ms. Huling explores the endless boundaries of movement through teaching modern to all ages while bringing a fun but disciplined approach that introduces ballet technique to beginning dancers. She is a part of the company’s Dance for Life outreach program that goes to Quad City schools to explore health and exercise through dance for children of all ages and backgrounds. Through her teachings, Ms. Huling feels she has the opportunity to bring confidence and love of dance to others.
Hannah Dorfmueller Williams teaches creative movement and beginning ballet at City Center. Originally, from Cincinnati, OH, she has trained at Ballet Tech Ohio, Joffrey Ballet School, and at the highly acclaimed Nutmeg Conservatory for the Arts In Connecticut. While in Connecticut, she taught ballet and creative movement. Creative and imaginative, Ms. Williams’ energetic classes are carefully structured to offer her young students a fun and dynamic introduction to dance.
Courtney Lyon Courtney Lyon teaches ballet and pointe at City Center. Originally from St. Louis, she received her BFA in dance from the University of Iowa before joining Ballet Quad Cities. She enjoys working with a wide range of students from creative movement to advanced students and adults. As a teacher, she focuses on clean technique and correct placement in all her ballet classes and encourages artistic expression from even the youngest student. Since moving to the Quad Cities, she has been active in commu8nity outreach programs such as Stepping Stones and Dance for Life, educating public school students on the joy of movement and creative thinking. Ms. Lyon is excited to be Co-Director of Ballet Quad Cities II, the youth performing company, for the 2007-2008 season.
Lana Brown Rogal, involved in teaching dance since age 14, specializes in music theatre, jazz, tap, and hip-hop. She has appeared in and choreographed many productions including West Side Story, Chorus Line, Anne Get Your Gun, and Oklahoma. Ms. Rogal has performed in Broadway In Iowa, presented at several local theatres. She has received awards at national competitions and is a card-carrying member of the Screen Actors Guild. In addition to teaching at City Center School of the Arts, Ms. Rogal is also an instructor in Muscatine, Iowa.
Jennifer Weber teaches ballet and pointe at City Center. She received her dance training from Ballet Omaha, The Omaha Theatre Company for Young People, The Rock School of Pennsylvania Ballet, and Pittsburgh Youth Ballet. While obtaining her BA in Mathematics from the University of Nebraska,Omaha, she began both her professional dance (and teaching) career with Omaha Theatre Company Dance. Ms. Weber joined Ballet Quad Cities in 2002. Her strict technical training from Robin Welch at Ballet Omaha and Omaha Theatre Company, along with her love and passion for dance, has molded her as a teacher who expects and encourages students to achieve their best.