YVONNE CHOUTEAU SCHOOL

The Yvonne Chouteau School is the official school of Oklahoma City Ballet with the mission to provide our students with quality, accessible dance training and to inspire a love for the art form. Classical ballet technique is the focus of our training, however we strive to curate a well-rounded curriculum that includes jazz technique, character dance, and contemporary. Our students share a facility with the professional company, enriching each student’s experience by allowing them to observe those dancers in classes, rehearsals, and performances. Students are also offered opportunities to perform in student roles with the Oklahoma City Ballet in company productions such as Ryan Jolicoeur-Nye’s The Nutcracker.

The Oklahoma City Ballet Yvonne Chouteau School aims to provide a nurturing, inclusive, equitable, and diverse environment for all students. Our faculty incorporates the best of Vaganova-based training methods with a forward-thinking approach, focusing on proper body alignment and muscle engagement to ensure the safe development of technique for each dancer and foster confidence, poise, discipline, and coordination. Our ballet classes are accompanied by professional pianists.

The School is named to honor the memory of Yvonne Chouteau, who along with her husband Miguel Terekhov, was the first artistic director of Oklahoma City Ballet in 1963. Chouteau is one of the “Five Moons,” Native American prima ballerinas who rose to international acclaim during the 20th century.

Whether the student's goal is to pursue a professional career in dance or enjoy the movement, the Oklahoma City Ballet Yvonne Chouteau School is committed to meeting students where they are with their training needs.