Classical Dance Conservatory
Not just training. This is where dancers become artists.
Why This Program
The Classical Dance Conservatory is a pre-professional training program for serious dancers in grades 9–12—designed for students ready to train with focus, commitment, and purpose.
Students don’t just take classes.
They train, perform, and refine their artistry—developing the technique, discipline, and mindset required of today’s classical dancer.
Program Overview:
The Classical Dance Conservatory at OC Music & Dance provides rigorous, pre-professional training rooted in classical ballet. Designed for intermediate to advanced dancers, the program prepares students for collegiate and professional pathways through focused technical development and performance experience.
Students train in ballet and pointe alongside modern and contemporary techniques, including improvisation, composition, and choreography. Emphasis is placed on alignment, strength, flexibility, musicality, and expressive artistry.
With over 15 hours of weekly training, dancers develop consistency, discipline, and a strong technical foundation. Additional conditioning supports physical development and injury prevention.
Through performances, workshops, and master classes, students gain real-world experience and exposure to professional environments—building the skills, confidence, and artistry needed for the next stage of their training.
A Week in the Conservatory
Contemporary Ballet | Lyrical | Contemporary Modern | Contemporary | Jazz | Musical Theatre | Hip Hop | Tap/Rhythm | Rehearsal
Students leave this program prepared for collegiate dance programs and auditions, with performance experience and refined technique and artistry.
Application
Interested in applying to OC Music and Dance’s Commercial Dance Conservatory?
Now accepting application for Fall 2026. Apply today for priority consideration.
Application Requirements:
Demonstrate 6 counts of 8 in the following dance forms:
Jazz
Contemporary
Hip Hop or Musical Theatre
Tap (optional)
Optional: You may also include a solo of choice in any of the previous commercial dance forms
MEET OUR
CLASSICAL DANCE
CREATIVE TEAM
STEVEN B. HYDE
Steven B. Hyde is an accomplished ballet dancer and educator with a distinguished career in performance and training. He earned his Bachelor of Arts in Performing Arts, cum laude, from Saint Mary’s College of California. Hyde previously directed the Ballet & Contemporary Dance Conservatory at the Orange County School of the Arts and has taught at leading institutions across the United States.
Professionally, he performed as a Principal Dancer with the Royal Winnipeg Ballet and danced with American Ballet Theatre, appearing in leading roles such as Siegfried in Swan Lake, Romeo in Romeo and Juliet, and Prince Florimund in The Sleeping Beauty.
RACHEL OBERG
Rachel Chang (Oberg) is a ballet educator and performer with a strong foundation in classical training. She earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Ballet Education from the University of Utah, where she also received her teaching certification and trained with esteemed faculty. She began her training in Kansas City at Blue Springs Ballet and continued her development through programs including Boston Ballet and Dmitri Roudnev’s Ballet Intensive.
Rachel has performed professionally with Ballet Theatre of Maryland and Contemporary Ballet Dallas, and as a guest artist in The Nutcracker. With over a decade of teaching experience, she most recently spent four years as a faculty member at the Orange County School of the Arts.
