Founded in 1953, the Joffrey Ballet School , located in Greenwich Village, is designed to develop and train professional dancers. Founders Robert Joffrey and Gerald Arpino strive to teach dance based on intensive training, focusing on movement, clarity, and exuberant energy. Passionate students are transformed into versatile, individualistic artists in the world of dance. Dancers at the Joffrey Ballet School are trained in a variety of dance styles, from Jazz to Modern, Contemporary to Hip-Hop, and much more. As students' progress in age, maturity and dance experience, they are introduced to new techniques and areas of dance. Students leave the school with a well-rounded, versatile dance experience. For more than 50 years the Joffrey Ballet School has stood in the forefront of American dance education, with graduates going on to dance for major classical ballet companies. Many students have even gone on to perform for numerous modern and contemporary companies in the United States and around the world. The Joffrey Ballet School is the only ballet school in NYC that offers such a well-rounded dance curriculum. Students excel in classical ballet, choreography, dance history, music, yoga, and more. Through their workshops and classes students leave the ballet school with a new sense of accomplishment and a beautiful lifelong talent. The ballet school is an accredited institutional member of the National Association of Schools of Dance, as well as meets the standards for a school of vocational training from the US Department of Education.