Crystal Petzel
Owner/Director

She is known as being a fair, disciplined, and nurturing instructor who takes the time to treat each student individually, getting the best out of each and every one of them. Her aim is to accomplish this regardless of the student’s intent – whether it be dancing simply for personal improvement and enjoyment or pursuing the dream of becoming a professional dancer. The concept has proven to be successful as shown by the impressive number of her students who have received scholarships to train or to dance with prestigious dance schools, universities and companies such as: Dutch National Ballet, Oregon Ballet Theatre, American Ballet Theatre, School of American Ballet, Stanford University, UCLA, NYU among others.

Ms. Petzel is particularly proud of bringing dancers to the finals of the Youth American Grand Prix in New York City, competing amongst the best of international students and is equally pleased by the accomplishments of former students who have succeeded in becoming doctors, teachers, small business owners, and other acclaimed professionals. 

She also enjoys working with those in Ballet-assisted fields: Figure Skaters, Artistic (Synchronized) Swimmers, and Gymnasts, helping coach them to win National titles and competitions. Ms. Petzel’s expertise and involvement with classical ballet, and dance in general, stems from an acclaimed background of varied teaching methods including Vaganova and The Royal Academy of Dancing. She began her early training in Oklahoma with Marjorie Kovich and legendary Ballet Russe dancers Yvonne Chouteau and Miguel Terekhov and was chosen to be the youngest member of the Norman Ballet Company. She has completed her American Ballet Theatre training and is certified from Primary through level 7. Ms. Petzel received her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Southern Methodist University in Dallas.

Ms. Petzel has worked with several dance companies and schools in many varied roles: That of a choreographer, artistic director, principal teacher, and ballet mistress. She has conceived outreach programs that bring the arts to under-served, ESL, and special needs elementary school children. Ms. Petzel developed a Student Guild organization that gives students a chance to grow in the areas of personal development, business management, leadership and community involvement.

Throughout her career Crystal has appeared as a guest artist for a variety of companies throughout the country, performing as a soloist and principal dancer. Many original roles were created for her in ballets such as Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, The Firebird, A Mid-Summers Night's Dream, The Red Shoes, Stars and Stripes, and The Little Prince. Her ballet and modern choreography continue to receive praise for exceptional creativity and professionalism.

With her boundless energy and enthusiasm, Ms. Petzel leads by example, promoting positivity while instilling valuable life lessons. She has the innate ability to make the culmination of effort and hard work exciting.