Preparatory Dance Program at UNCSA to celebrate 50th anniversary on June 7
The Preparatory Dance Program at UNCSA is celebrating its 50th anniversary on Saturday, June 7, with an alumni reunion and spring performance that is open to the public.
Alumni of the program as well as current and past directors, faculty, students and
their families are expected to participate in commemorating Prep Dance’s rich history
of developing young dancers since 1975, said Preparatory Dance Program Director Monica Stephenson.
Alumni have been registering for their events, which include an Alumni Ballet Barre/Mini
Class with Dayna Fox and Jan Adams from 10-11:15 a.m., and an Alumni Reunion Reception
hosted by the Thomas S. Kenan Institute for the Arts from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Preparatory Dance / Photo: Andrew Bowen
The celebration concludes with the Spring Performance by current Prep students, from
2-3:30 p.m. at Gerald Freedman Theatre in Alex Ewing Performance Place on the UNCSA
campus, 1533 S. Main St. Program alumni will be recognized onstage at the end of the
performance. Tickets, at $25, can be purchased online or by calling the UNCSA Box Office at 336-721-1945.
“For 50 years, the Preparatory Dance Program at UNCSA has been a cornerstone of our
community and a vibrant part of Winston-Salem’s cultural fabric,” said School of Dance
Dean Endalyn T. Outlaw. “Not only has it nurtured young dancers — many of whom have gone on to study in our high school or undergraduate programs and
some, on to professional careers — but Prep Dance has inspired creativity and cultivated a lifelong love of the art
form.
“This program has succeeded because it has always been about more than just dance steps; it's about mentorship, discipline, joy and the power of artistic expression,” Outlaw continued. “Generations of families have trusted us with their children’s earliest training, and that trust has built a legacy we are proud to celebrate. As we mark this milestone, we honor the dedicated faculty, passionate students, and supportive families who have shaped this beloved tradition.”
Preparatory Dance / Photo: Jonathan Greene
Stephenson, who was named director of Prep Dance in 2023, credited the “exemplary vision and leadership that has been very consistent and stable over five decades” for the program’s sustainability. She cited all the deans of the School of Dance for being “extremely supportive of the program as a pipeline to the conservatory, and thus, have invested the needed time and resources into the program.”
What makes Preparatory Dance special “are the superb faculty members and the strong curriculum and performance opportunities that come with being affiliated with one of the top arts conservatories in the world,” she added. “The training is at a very high standard and children receive not only a strong dance education, but life skills and experiences that they can use for any future endeavor.”
Stephenson, who is from Fayetteville, North Carolina, has danced professionally with The Washington Ballet, Dance Theatre of Harlem and the Los Angeles Ballet. She began attending UNCSA summer sessions at age 12 and was invited to enroll in the high school at 14, graduating in 2001.
“UNCSA has a special place in my heart, and I could not be more thrilled and grateful for the opportunity to return home to my alma mater,” she said. “My dream of being a professional ballerina absolutely would not have come to fruition without the excellent training I received at UNCSA. To come full circle in life – to help the next generation fulfill their dreams – is an opportunity I could not turn down.”
Preparatory Dance / Photo: UNCSA
About the Preparatory Dance Program
Founded in 1975, the Preparatory Dance Program was the brainchild of founding School of Dance Dean Robert Lindgren and his wife, Sonja Tyven. The program’s mission was to seek out gifted young children in the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools and offer them after-school dance classes to create access to high-quality training and to build a bridge to the School of Dance’s high school program.
The Preparatory Dance Program utilizes the American Ballet Theatre National Training Curriculum, which combines solid technical and artistic training, dancer health, and principles of child development. The program consists of ABT Curriculum levels Pre-Primary (ages 3-4), Primary (ages 5-7) and Levels 1-5 (ages 8 and above).
Last year, the program expanded to include the Preparatory Dance Advanced Training Program, which provides high school students with a comprehensive and rigorous training experience in order to prepare them for diverse careers and collegiate studies in dance.
Dayna Fox led the Preparatory Dance Program from 1989-2014, while Prep Dance and High School alumnus Matthew Donnell (alongside wife Alana Niehoff) led from 2014-18, and Susan Brooker led from 2018-23. Currently, the program is under the direction of UNCSA High School alumna Monica Stephenson.
Some of the Preparatory Dance alumni and their professional companies include: Lauren Alzamora, Ballet Hispanico; Sierra Armstrong, American Ballet Theatre; Jackson Calhoun, Richmond Ballet; Dylan Clinard, Atlanta Ballet; Daniel Cooper, Boston Ballet; Matthew Donnell, Kansas City Ballet; Brian Gephart, Joffrey Ballet of Chicago; Samantha Griffin, Cincinnati Ballet; Stephen Gunter, Ballet Rhode Island; Sara Havener, Royal New Zealand Ballet; Ashley Jackson, Alonzo King’s Lines Ballet; Jerome Johnson, New York City Ballet; Monica Johnson, Ballet Ethnic; Claire Kretzschmar, New York City Ballet; Lydia McRae, Nashville Ballet; Kelley Potter, American Ballet Theatre; Jake Stainback, Momix; Isaac Stappas, American Ballet Theatre; and Brian Waldrep, Houston Ballet.
May 29, 2025