IN Peters Township October/November 2018 | Page 49

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BY NICOLE TAFE
P
eters Township is home to a new ballet school this fall.
Pennsylvania Ballet Conservatory opened it doors on
September 10 and plans to bring professional-quality
ballet instruction in a positive environment.
The conservatory was founded by three Peters Township
women—Diane Damon, Patty Erker and Laurie Rieger—who
were looking to make a positive change in their daughters’ ballet
education.
“We wanted to open a classical ballet school with a more up-
to-date approach to ballet that includes a positive, nurturing
environment,” says Rieger. “We’re looking to support the whole
child—not only teaching them professional-quality ballet, but
also helping them develop the skills they need to be successful in
life, including positive body image, discipline and mental focus.”
Vanessa Haidar and David Martinez Coro are the Artistic
Directors of the school and will oversee the dance education for
students, as well as be instructors at the school. They are both
former dancers with the National Ballet of Cuba—a prestigious
international school that has seen many of its students become
world-renowned ballet dancers. They also both have degrees in
dance instruction and have previously taught ballet at studios in
Pennsylvania, Florida and Texas.
“I danced with the National Ballet of Cuba for 10 seasons and
David for seven years,” says Haidar. “We toured all over the world
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PETERS TOWNSHIP
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