Lynchburg Ballet Academy’s Graceful Beginnings
By: Anna Eileen White | Photos by: Ashlee Glen
At the corner of 5th and Commerce in downtown Lynchburg, is an unassuming set of basement doors. Though less iconic than the prominently illuminated Academy Center of the Arts Historic Theatre entrance a floor above, this basement is no less a hub of excellence and creative expression.
In fact, the magic of the Historic Theatre’s stage starts here. Just follow the bustling ballerinas inside to see.
Professional ballet company Charlottesville Ballet opened Lynchburg Ballet Academy’s doors in September 2026, following its acquisition of Ecclesia School of the Arts. The acquisition marks expanded educational programming, elevated student training alongside professional ballerinas, and a renewed focus on wellness for dancers of all ages.
“This is the best thing that could have happened for them [Charlottesville Ballet], for us [Ecclesia School of the Arts], and for the Academy [Center of the Arts],” said Michelle Velastegui, former owner of Ecclesia. She called the transition a “no-brainer.”
“There are so many great studios here in Lynchburg that all offer their own unique thing,” said Sara Clayborne, CEO of Charlottesville Ballet. “I think what we want to give is an opportunity to see specifically what professional level ballet looks like firsthand.”
Founded in 2007 by Clayborne and Emily Hartka, Charlottesville Ballet has operated a training school in Charlottesville for many years while also sharing ties to the Lynchburg region. Named the resident dance company for the Academy Center of the Arts in 2018, they’ve worked extensively with Lynchburg native, City of Lynchburg Artist Laureate, and Charlottesville Ballet Resident Choreographer Keith Lee, to bring professional level performances to the Lynchburg stage over the last eight years.
Now, as they expand on Ecclesia School of the Arts’ legacy with their own Lynchburg-based training school, Clayborne says Charlottesville Ballet’s core mission stays the same.
“Our goal was to just see if it was possible to have a ballet company with a mission of wellness and health, which is really uncommon, specifically for ballet,” she said. “It’s often a very rigid aesthetic and can be a really harsh environment, for men and women, but particularly for women.”
Though she’d been instructed by many wonderful teachers throughout her career, Clayborne knew she wanted to introduce her future children to dance, and she craved something different.
“I realized that I wanted to have a family myself, and I wanted to make sure that what I was doing work-wise would match with my family goals,” she shared. “At that time, I didn’t have kiddos, but now I have two little girls, and I just always loved kids and wanted to take on the responsibility of training the next generation in a different way.”
Since eating disorders occur at higher rates in the dance population than the general population, Clayborne and Hartka made awareness part of their ethos.
“Emily struggled with eating disorders for over 10 years, and she’s very open about that,” shared Clayborne. “We were roommates for a long time, and we’re like sisters. And so experiencing that made both of us realize this is a need specifically in the ballet world. In ballet, you’re in front of a mirror all day long, and you are the instrument. So I think that caused a deep sense of responsibility towards the next generation to say, ‘There must be a better way.’”
From there, Clayborne and Hartka coined the motto “Dance is for everyBODY” and shaped classes around creating high-caliber art without becoming obsessed with physical aesthetics. “There’s a desire for everyone and everyBODY to feel welcome,” Clayborne said.
That desire extends to one of Clayborne’s favorite classes: a free, adaptive class geared towards children with physical and mental disabilities. Peer through a studio window during an adaptive class and you may spot mobility aids and additional teachers, depending on the student’s needs. Without a doubt, you’ll spot smiling faces. “I think this is a population of individuals who have been overlooked for so long and disregarded,” said Clayborne, eyes glistening. “Those kids are just—don’t make me cry—amazing.”
In addition to free, adaptive dance classes, Charlottesville Ballet offers over $300,000 in student scholarships annually. Through community funding, sponsors, and The Keith Lee Dance Fund, they’re changing one dancer’s life at a time.
“I feel immense gratitude,” Clayborne said. “Every time someone donates to the ballet, it moves me because no one has to give a gift.” Without sponsors, Clayborne says ticket sales would not cover operating costs.
2026-27 season sponsors include The Virginian Hotel, the Joseph and Robert Cornell Memorial Foundation, and the Lynchburg Community Foundation. Salute, Charlottesville Ballet’s November 14 performance in Lynchburg, celebrates the courage and sacrifice of our nation’s veterans. It is sponsored by the
Virginia Commission for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts as part of the America 250 Celebration. Complimentary admission is available for active duty military and veterans.
Charlottesville Ballet performances like Salute in November and The Nutcracker in December bring professionals and students to the same stage. This is where high-caliber art for everyBODY comes together.
“Getting the students to have that exposure, an opportunity to perform, and then do that alongside professionals, gives them an experience that they don’t normally have access to,” said Clayborne. Just like in sports, she teaches students that they don’t just practice for fun, they practice to perform.
Clayborne notes that as students observe and perform alongside professionals, the dynamic often feels like mentorship: “It’s really sweet that they can have a more personalized relationship with really high-quality dancers.”
Lest the glory of the stage detract from the mission, Clayborne has a knack for bringing it back to the basics. “There’s something so unique about the duality of both the energy and the sense of calm that moving to music corporately does for individuals,” she said. She says it gives kids a sense of confidence and accomplishment.
Whether “itty-bitty” students, adult students, first-timers, or professionals, Clayborne says the reaction is always the same: “Once you’ve moved in space with other people, you’re like, ‘Yep, that’s right. We dance. We dance together.’”
To learn more about Lynchburg Ballet Academy, visit lynchburgballet.org.
