New York Theatre Ballet announces that Bessie Award winner Melissa Toogood will teach Cunningham Technique classes at Ballet School NY from September 22 – November 3, 2016. Ballet School NY (BSNY) was founded by artistic director Diana Byer in 1978 as the official training school of New York Theatre Ballet.

Melissa Toogood will instruct Ballet III and Young Artist Division students for the next six weeks. For more information or to register visit www.nytb.org/ballet-school-ny.

BSNY teaches dance as a total art form, developing strong technical skill and discipline.  Following the Cecchetti syllabus, classes emphasize music, theatricality, gesture and style. For the advanced and professional level student classes in modern, theater dance, pointe, variations and repertory round out the training curriculum. Well-trained Cecchetti dancers have purity of line and simplicity of style which enables them to take their place in dance companies throughout the world.  BSNY provides teaching assistants in every class. Small class size guarantees highly individualized instruction. For qualified students, the school’s unique relationship with the Company provides performing experience throughout the year in ballets featuring roles for children.

Melissa Toogood is currently performing with Pam Tanowitz Dance, Rashaun Mitchell & Silas Riener, Kimberly Bartosik and as a Guest Artist with the Stephen Petronio Company. She was a member of the Merce Cunningham Dance Company. She has performed with Miro Dance Theater, the Michael Uthoff Dance Theater, the Rosie Herrera Dance Theater, Robert Wood Dance, Kyle Abraham / Abraham.In.Motion, Sally Silvers, Bill Young, Dylan Crossman and toured with The Bang Group's Tap Lab. As Assistant to the Choreographer Pam Tanowitz, she's worked on creations for Ballet Austin, Barnard College, Dickinson College, Princeton University, Rutgers University, Vail International Dance Festival, and the Fall For Dance Festival. Dance Magazine named her as of one 25 to watch in 2014.