International Ballet Theatre & Academy

International Ballet Theatre & Academy International Ballet Academy, a professional dance academy for ages 3-18 and the official academy of The International Ballet Theatre www.IntBalletAcademy.com

International Ballet Academy is a professional dance academy with a focus on training young dancers who seek a career in dance. We cater to dancers all over the world and it is our belief that a passion for dance lies in everyone, thus we offer recreational dance courses through our regular season and during summer.

09/10/2026

This is what Dracula sounds like live🩸🧛

More than classical ballet, Dracula is a theatrical performance where movement, character and spectacle collide - blending classical and contemporary dance with Eastern European folk and character dance, theatrical performance, and even tap.

Dark, unexpected and deliberately unlike a traditional night at the ballet, it was created to be experienced live - with the energy of the performers and the audience in the same room.

🦇 DRACULA — ONE NIGHT ONLY
October 25, 2026 | 7:00 PM
The 5th Avenue Theatre | Seattle

One performance. One chance to be there.

🎟️ Tickets available now — link in bio.

09/09/2026

🎙️ Introducing the IBT & IBA Podcast Series

Episode 01: Meet Vera Altunina
The Person Behind the Theatre and the Academy.

Our first full episode is now available on YouTube.

▶️ Watch now — link https://youtu.be/z7M72L_gDik

09/08/2026

🩰 ALISA NISHANOVA | ALUMNI STORY

Alisa Nishanova joined International Ballet Academy in 2002, just one year after the Academy opened, and trained here until 2016.

After continuing her studies in England and Scotland, she spent several years touring with different ballet companies and is now a Soloist with Tbilisi Chamber Ballet in Georgia.

Looking back, Alisa says there is something she understands much more deeply now as a professional dancer: at IBA, students are taught not only ballet technique, but how to become artists.

She remembers spending time with Ms. Vera discussing what every gesture means, where a dancer is looking, what they are thinking, and why. Students also gain extensive experience performing full story ballets - learning how to communicate a character, tell a story, and develop true stage presence.

“I’ve never seen someone who’s so good at training artists rather than just technique.”

🤍 Today, when she returns to the Academy, she sees herself in each new generation of young dancers: their excitement, their questions about the future, and the same journey she once began here herself.

From one generation to the next, the tradition continues.

🩰 Professional ballet training • Vaganova Method • Performance experience
🎭 International Ballet Theatre & Academy
🌐 Programs & enrollment — link in bio

09/06/2026

🩰 Our new Academic Year is officially underway.

Here’s a little glimpse into the first week back at International Ballet Academy - returning to the studio, reconnecting with teachers and friends, and finding that familiar rhythm again.

✨ After the summer break, our dancers are gradually rebuilding strength and technique before returning to pointe work, giving their bodies the time they need to adjust safely to the full training load.

This week, we joined Miss Stephanie Soland’s ballet class - corrections, concentration, beautiful movement, and that unmistakable feeling of being back where you belong.

🤍 And there’s still time to become part of our Academy family. Enrollment for the 2026–2027 Academic Season continues through September, with programs beginning at age 3.

📍 International Ballet Academy | Bellevue, WA
🩰 Ages 3+ | Beginner through Professional levels
🔗 Explore programs & enrollment through the link in bio

🩰 WELCOME TO THE 2026 | 2027 THEATRE SEASONA new performance season is beginning at International Ballet Theatre — bring...
09/03/2026

🩰 WELCOME TO THE 2026 | 2027 THEATRE SEASON

A new performance season is beginning at International Ballet Theatre — bringing five distinct productions to the stages of Seattle and Bellevue.

Our latest newsletter is now live, bringing together what’s ahead for the 2026–2027 season: an unforgettable opening night in Seattle, the return of a beloved holiday tradition, classical ballet, family theatre, and the next generation of artists taking the stage.

🦇 Dracula — October 25, 2026 | The 5th Avenue Theatre, Seattle
✨ The Nutcracker — December 11–23, 2026 | Meydenbauer Theatre, Bellevue
🎭 Coppélia — March 6–7, 2027 | Meydenbauer Theatre, Bellevue
🍎 Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs — May 8–9, 2027 | Meydenbauer Theatre, Bellevue
🩰 Stars of Tomorrow — June 12–13, 2027 | Meydenbauer Theatre, Bellevue

Swipe through for highlights from the new edition and a look at the season ahead.

💌 Want to stay connected?
Our newsletter follows the work taking place on our stages and in our studios throughout the year. Visit the NEWSLETTER Highlight on our profile to read the latest edition and subscribe — so Theatre and Academy news, performances, artist stories, events, and announcements come directly to you.

📍 International Ballet Theatre & Academy
11211 Main Street, Bellevue, WA
🌐 Academy & Theatre information — link in bio
💌 Newsletter — NEWSLETTER Highlight
🎟️ Performances & tickets — link in bio

09/01/2026

MANAMI KAWAI | ALUMNI STORY — PART 2 🤍
SOME LESSONS MAKE SENSE YEARS LATER

Sometimes you have to grow up to finally understand what your teachers were trying to tell you.

When Manami returned to IBA, something felt different.

The teachers she had grown up with were still warm. Coming back to take class still felt natural. But Manami was returning with something she didn’t have when she was younger: perspective.

And she admits, with a little humor, that now she feels like she owes her teachers “a big apology” 🤍

Because one of the hardest things to understand as a young dancer is that ballet takes time.

🩰 You can put in so much work and still not see the results right away.

Manami remembers how frustrating that could feel. But she also remembers trusting her teachers — and trusting the process.

Years later, she can see how much that process benefited her.

✨ And that lesson eventually became something bigger than ballet: don’t let fear stop you from taking an opportunity simply because it feels uncomfortable.

Her advice to the dancers coming after her says it best:

“You only regret every chance that you don’t take. So be fearless” 🤍.

For every young dancer walking into our studios: you don’t need to know yet where ballet will take you.

You just need somewhere to begin 🩰.

✨ SEPTEMBER ENROLLMENT AT IBA
Ages 3–6 | Complimentary Trial Class
Ages 7+ | Annual Fee Waived
Offer valid through September

📍 International Ballet Academy | Bellevue
📩 Enrollment is now open

09/01/2026

MANAMI KAWAI | ALUMNI STORY — PART 1 🩰
10 YEARS AT IBA — AND WHAT STAYED WITH HER

She came to International Ballet Academy at around 7 years old. She stayed until she graduated at 17. Ten years that became the foundation for everything that came next.

Meet Manami Kawai, International Ballet Academy alumna 🤍

After graduating from IBA, Manami continued her training through Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre’s Graduate Program and the University of Utah’s ballet program. This August, she begins her next chapter as an apprentice with American Midwest Ballet in Omaha.

But one of our favorite parts of this conversation wasn’t where Manami went next.

It was hearing what stayed with her.

🩰 She talks about developing a critical eye — learning how to walk into any studio, work with different teachers, recognize what needs to change and correct herself.

✨ And then there is what she learned from Miss Vera: that becoming a dancer is about much more than executing the steps. It is about performance, artistry and learning to make the movement your own.

Manami calls that kind of training rare.

And perhaps that is what makes alumni stories like hers so special to us. When a child first walks into the studio, no one knows exactly where that first class may eventually lead 🤍

A new generation is walking through those doors now.

🩰 SEPTEMBER ENROLLMENT AT IBA
Ages 3–6 | Complimentary Trial Class
Ages 7+ | Annual Fee Waived
Offer valid through September

📍 International Ballet Academy | Bellevue
📩 Enrollment is now open

Address

11211 Main Street
Bellevue, WA
98004

Opening Hours

Monday 10am - 8pm
Tuesday 10am - 8pm
Wednesday 10am - 8pm
Thursday 10am - 8pm
Friday 10am - 8pm
Saturday 10am - 4pm
Sunday 10am - 4pm

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