Westside School of Ballet was founded in 1973 by Yvonne Mounsey (New York City Ballet principal under George Balanchine) and Rosemary Valaire (Royal Ballet). Throughout the 50 plus years the school has helped launch careers for dancers including Tiler Peck (NYCB principal), Andrew Veyette (NYCB principal), Joy Womack (Bolshoi Ballet, Kremlin Ballet), Samuel Melnikov (NYCB), and many others. Alumni have also performed with companies that include Los Angeles Ballet, Joffrey Ballet of Chicago, Pennsylvania Ballet, Dance Theatre of Harlem, Ballet San Antonio, Milwaukee Ballet, Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre, Sacramento Ballet, Washington Ballet, Kansas City Ballet, Smuin Contemporary Ballet and Indianapolis Ballet.
On Monday, February 2, 2026 at 5:30 PM the Westside School of Ballet will host their Professional Informational Night “designed to inform, inspire, and support young dancers and their families as they navigate the many pathways toward a life in ballet.” (WSB press release). This event is open to all Westside School of Ballet students as well as inspiring ballet students and their families who live in the Los Angeles area. The event is free and no registration is necessary.
Lucia Connolly and Dylan Gutierrez – Both with Joffrey Ballet – Photo by Todd Lechtick.
Professional Informational Night will include a 12 member panel of prominent dance professionals who will gather together to share their advice on building a career in dance. Joining Artistic Director Martine Harley (Houston Ballet) and Associate Executive Director Adrian Blake Mitchell (Mikhailovsky Ballet) will be:
- Sofiane Sylve (former New York City Ballet and San Francisco Ballet principal, former director of Ballet San Antonio)
- Melissa Barak* (Artistic Director, Los Angeles Ballet; formerly New York City Ballet)
- Lucia Connolly* (Company Artist, Joffrey Ballet of Chicago)
- Frances Veyette* (former Pennsylvania Ballet principal and former PAB 2nd Company Director)
- Lauren Veyette (former principal dancer, Pennsylvania Ballet and Miami City Ballet)
- James Ady (formerly Pennsylvania Ballet and American Ballet Theatre)
- Giorgia Martelloni-Zabriskie* (Dance Theatre of Harlem)
- Zane Tahvildaran-Jesswein* (Ballet San Antonio; NYU Tisch School of the Arts)
- Elizabeth Highway* (Milwaukee Ballet, Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre and Indianapolis Ballet)
- David Prottas (New York City Ballet)
- Erin Bakken (Texas Ballet Theater, Bruce Wood Dance Company, and Ohio Ballet. Inaugural member of the Los Angeles Ballet)
* asterisk indicates Westside Ballet alumnus
Lucia Connolly as Frida Khalo in “Broken Wings” by Anabelle Lopez Ochoa – Photo by Cheryl Mann.
Lucia Connolly who now lives in Chicago and dances with the Joffrey Ballet of Chicago agreed to take time out of her busy rehearsal schedule for an interview on Zoom. As the topic of the Professional Informational Night panel is to give pointers to young dancers on how to navigate their future career in dance, I ask Connolly to describe her own journey.
“I started dancing at the age of four and went to Westside School of Ballet a year later, or maybe the year after. I started in pre-ballet and studied there until the 10th grade,” She said. “For my 11th and 12th year I studied at the School of American Ballet. From there I got a job with Joffrey and I’ve been here ever since. So, I been here for 10 years now.”
When I mentioned that her path sounded much easier than other dancers might experience, Connolly said, “I had a very straight forward journey.”
When asked if there were mistakes that she made or if she had any advice for when times get tough, Connolly offered that no matter whether one is in ballet class or working with a professional company, things will sometimes not go the way one wants and that there is absolutely no shame in that. It is part of life. “Remembering that and focus on the art that you’re making. The people who are the most successful are often the ones who persevere the most.”
Connolly also said that being collaborative are other tools for succeeding in dance or in any other job in life. She voiced that another part is being someone that others really like to work with. We discussed that finding a strong mentor and listening to that person is yet another very important element to moving forward.
“What I would like to get out of this panel,” Connolly said, “is a realistic view of what it means to be a ballet dancer, that I could have a better idea of what this life looks like so that I could make the decision whether or not I wanted to pursue it. That would be really helpful.”
Lucia Connolly -Joffrey Ballet -Photo by Cheryl Mann.
When asked if being a ballet dancer was very competitive, Connolly said that it depends on where one is. “Sometimes it is very difficult competing with people that you are friends with. But there is a way of framing it so that you can use the way other people are progressing as inspiration for your own practice. I feel that that is the better way of looking at it….because sometimes you don’t get the part and sometimes you do. There’s no way of controlling that.” She admitted that the competition is definitely there, but that there are different ways of focusing on it.
“Ballet is something that you are always going to be in a process,” Connolly added. “Know that what you put on stage is just one part of the process.” She added that one thing she had to learn if and when something turned out wrong or a particular movement was too difficult she had to work even harder to make it happen. Training, desire, discipline and luck are definitely part of having a successful career in any art form, and Connolly stated that the competition is there whether you are a man or a woman.
Program Details
The program will consist of 45 minutes of panel discussion, followed by a 45-minute Q&A session, allowing ample time for dancers and parents to ask questions and gain meaningful perspective on topics including:
- Technical and mental preparation for a professional career
- How to approach summer intensives, year-long programs, evaluations, and competitions
- The many post-Westside Ballet paths available to dancers
- What success in ballet can look like in its many forms
“We’re seeing more and more families asking thoughtful questions about what comes after Westside—not just where their dancers might train next, but what a sustainable career in ballet actually looks like,” says Adrian Blake Mitchell, Associate Executive Director and former Mikhailovsky Theatre Ballet principal. “This isn’t about pushing every student toward a professional career, but about giving them the real information they need to make informed decisions. Whether a dancer continues to the highest levels or discovers that ballet is a foundation for other creative pursuits, we want them to feel empowered and prepared.”
“This event reflects what makes Westside Ballet so special: a strong sense of community across generations,” says Jennifer Bransford White, Westside Ballet Guild Board President. “Giving our dancers the opportunity to learn directly from renowned alumni who are shaping the ballet world is both inspiring and grounding—and an invaluable part of their education, giving them the practical steps to move confidently toward their dreams.”
The Professional Informational Night takes place on Monday, February 2, 2026 at 5:30 pm at the Westside School of Ballet, 1709 Stewart St, Santa Monica, CA 90404. Admission is free. No registration is necessary.
To learn more about the Westside School of Ballet, please visit their website or call (310) 828-2018.
Written by Jeff Slayton for LA Dance Chronicle with information provided by Shari Mesulam, The Mesulam Group.
Feature image: Lucia Connolly in Andante by Yuri Possokov – Photo by Cheryl Mann.
