CCA Midwest Committee

03/05/2026

Let’s get that cross training in, dancers! Molly Barnes is teaching Pilates for our upcoming Cecchetti workshop!

Molly Barnes (Pilates) discovered the Pilates method while earning her BFA in Dance and Theater at Otterbein University. In 2007, she was accepted into the renowned Ron Fletcher Comprehensive Program, completing her training under the late Ron Fletcher—one of the First Generation Teachers of Joseph and Clara Pilates and a former Martha Graham dancer. For over 18 years, Molly has taught Pilates professionally throughout Chicago and the North Shore, working with dancers and athletes to build strength, alignment, and longevity in their training. A lifelong student of dance, she is an alumna of Interlochen Center for the Arts and a graduate of Idyllwild Arts Academy, where she studied dance and choreography extensively. Molly is also on the Pilates team at Illinois Bone and Joint Institute where she works with orthopedic patients in post surgical rehabilitation. As both a Pilates educator and a proud Dance Center Evanston mother to a young ballerina in the Upper Primary Division, Molly is honored to support and inspire the next generation of dancers through the transformative power of Pilates.

03/05/2026

📣📣📣Make sure you secure your spot to take class with the wonderful Greg Begley this Sunday!
Link in Bio!

Greg Begley (Non-Syllabus Ballet, Variations, Men’s Technique), originally from Flint, MI, began his professional career while still in high school—performing, teaching dance and choreographing musicals for other high schools. He became a member of the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre and had four successful years performing and touring as a soloist with the company, performing for professional summer theater productions, and received a bachelor of business degree on a full dance scholarship. Early in his career, Greg worked with some of the most notable and legendary artists of the famed Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo. Leonide Massine, Vitale Fokine, Edward Caton, Ruth Page, and Frederic Franklin – a master of the romantic ballets, are only a few of the great teachers he studied with. Solicited by Ruth Page, Greg became a principal dancer with the Chicago Ballet, and was an audience favorite. By invitation, Greg joined the Hubbard Street Dance Company, he is an original performer and was the company’s ballet master; successfully they toured throughout the United States, Europe and South America. For many years, Greg has been a guest teacher for Chicago’s professional dance companies, and is on staff at several of the professional schools in the area. Most recently, hosted by the Chinese Foreign Affairs Office, he traveled to China teaching in the cities of Beijing and Suzhou, at the Guangxi Arts Institute in Nanning, and working with a performance group at the World Expo in Shanghai.

03/05/2026

We’re excited to welcome back our Liaison Officer, Ann Parsley for our Cecchetti Workshop this Sunday, March 8th! Read more about Ann below!
Make sure you register at the link in our bio NOW! Registration is open day-of for $5 more.

Ann Parsley, DFCCA (Syllabus) holds the Maestro Cecchetti Diploma, is former President of the Cecchetti Council of America, a Permanent Examiner and a CCA Delegate to the Cecchetti International Classical Ballet. For many years, Ann was the Coordinator of the CCA’s Summer School and Teacher Course at Michigan State University, Cleveland Ballet, and Hope College. She has been a Liaison Officer to many CCA committees, and is the Midwest Committee’s current liaison. Ann is the founder of Ann Parsley School of Dance and the Macomb Ballet Company, a non-profit ballet company. She holds a BFA in dance from Oakland University, graduating summa cm laude with honors in dance and was awarded the first Outstanding Alumni Award in Dance by the university. Ann was a 25-year executive board member of the Macomb Arts Council and Chair of the Annual Dance Festival. She has taught at Oakland University and has guest taught throughout the United States as well as Taiwan and Jamaica. Ann lives in the Dallas area and coaches ballet teachers in the Cecchetti method.

02/20/2026

🎉 Congratulations, dancers! 🎉

👯‍♂️ On February 7, sixteen dancers from Dance Center Evanston represented the Midwest Committee of the Cecchetti Council of America at the annual CCA Ballet Festival and Competition in Detroit, MI. Coached by Rosina DeVries, Calyn Carbery, Béa Rashid, and Shelby Moran Amarantos, these dancers performed classical variations, contemporary solos, duets, and ensemble pieces. Participating dancers were awarded 1st, 2nd, 3rd, Top 5, and Top 10 designations, as well as scholarships to summer intensives.

��✨ Ava Marcus - 2nd Place Junior Contemporary Solo, Interlochen Contemporary Scholarship
��✨ Alec Kherson - Top 5 Senior Classical, Top 5 Senior Contemporary, CCA Summer School at Hope College Full Tuition Scholarship, Eisenhower Dance Detroit
Uprooted Summer Intensive Scholarship
✨�� Sam Beukenkamp-Top 10 Junior Classical,
Louisville Ballet Summer Intensive Full Scholarship
��✨�� Isla Garraway Baker - Top 10 Junior Classical
��✨�� Clara Dillman - Blue Lake Arts Summer Middle School Intensive Scholarship�

❤️‍🔥 To our DCE dancers - We are so proud of your hard work and focus over the last couple weeks and hope you bring that revitalized energy into your classes to push yourself and bring your classmates along with you.

📸: DCE Staff & Gail Choate-Pettit
Solo Duet Trio Ensemble DanceCenterEvanston DCE Evanston

10/12/2025

Next up for our Fall Workshop faculty is our very own beloved Rosina DeVries!

Make sure you’re registered for classes! We are a week away! October 19th at

Rosina DeVries was born and raised in England where she received her early
training with Elizabeth Swan at the Weston Schools of Dancing. She later
studied with Viccy Chappell at the London College of Dance, where she
received her Teaching Diploma with Distinction and was awarded the
Maestro Enrico Cecchetti Diploma. During her training for the Final Diploma
Rosina was awarded both the Diana Barker Award for Cecchetti Ballet and
the Lisa Osbourn Award for Classical Ballet. Rosina danced with the
Chelmsford Ballet Company and Newpalm productions. Teaching has taken
Rosina to Greece, New York, where she also choreographed for the Rockland
Youth Dance Ensemble, and North Carolina where she was the head of the
Cecchetti program at City Ballet of Raleigh. Currently she is on faculty at
Dance Center Evanston in Illinois and guest teaching at various workshops
and summer programs. Former students have moved on to study at the School
of American Ballet, The Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School at American
Ballet Theatre, The Juilliard School and NCSA, as well as performing with
The Richmond Ballet, Carolina Ballet, Ballet Theatre of Maryland and New
Jersey Ballet.. Rosina is a Diploma Fellow and Examiner with the Cecchetti
Council of America and serves on the CCA National Executive Board of Directors.

10/11/2025

We can’t wait to dive into some Cecchetti next weekend with guest teacher and examiner, Karen Keith!

Read about her below:

Karen Keith, DFCCA, is a CCA Examiner and Executive Board member. She currently serves as the Assistant National Registrar and organizer of the CCA International Summer School. She is a frequent guest teacher at ballet workshops and teacher refresher courses. Karen began her ballet training with Pamela Rutledge and continued her studies with Lee Ann King and Marjorie Randazzo. To further her education, she attended courses in both Canada and England where she was awarded the Rita Emerson Shield in 2002 by the Cecchetti Society of England. Currently Karen is on faculty at the River Raisin Centre for the Arts, teaching Primary through Advanced. She also serves as the Assistant Director of the River Raisin Ballet Company.

10/10/2025

We are so pleased to welcome Madame Peff Modelski as a guest teacher for our upcoming Fall Workshop on Sunday, October 19th
Read more about her below:

MMe Peff, born in New York City trained with Margaret Craske, at trh Metropolitan Opera ballet
School. Also at the School of American Ballet, and American Ballet Theatre School. She
graduated from the famous High School of Performing Arts. She has been a ballet dancer,
Broadway dancer, a choreographer, an actress and has directed ballets, musicals and coached
dancers for competition. Taught at Steps NYC for 30years. Currently teaching at Visceral
Dance Centre and the Chicago Arts Academy.
A 6 decade professional career with ballet companies, in New York and Europe, in several
dance disciplines, has given her an international knowledge of how the art form is
accomplished/maintained at such a high standard.

10/03/2025

🚨‼️New merch alert ‼️ 🚨

Look for these new Midwest Committee T-shirts at our upcoming October Workshop!

09/09/2025

Posted • ✨ Save the Dates! ✨
We’re thrilled to announce that the Cecchetti International Summer School 2026 will take place July 6 – July 18, 2026! 🌍🩰

Mark your calendars for two incredible weeks of training, inspiration, and community with dancers and teachers from around the world. Stay tuned for more details on faculty, classes, and registration.

06/05/2025

Some nice photos from recital 2025

03/05/2025

📚 This Cecchetti Ballet Workshop was one for the books! 📚

💫 Thank you to this year’s incredible teachers Breon Arzell, Lucas Segovia, Laurie Papovich and Jacqueline Farina for teaching such incredible classes and helping these hard-working dancers along their path of improvement. Thank you to ALL of the students for choosing to spend your Sunday improving your skills and honing your craft. Keep it up!

02/17/2025