“Whether or not students choose a career as a professional dancer, the education received at Eugene Ballet Academy will benefit them throughout their lives”
Administrative Staff
Sara Lombardi, Academy Director
Jennifer Martin, Academy Administrator
Barbara Lombardi, Operations Manager
Elaine Lewis, Receptionist
Contact administrative staff through the office at
541-686-9342 or admin@eugeneballetacademy.org
Eugene Ballet Academy is dedicated to providing an education in dance that will nurture a lifelong appreciation of the arts.
We strive to inspire students—from age three to adult—to express themselves through movement and to share their inspired training through performance. Our devoted faculty provide students with a sound and full curriculum in dance, while they develop physical fitness, self-confidence, musicality, social skills, respect for others, and the discipline to meet the challenges of daily life.
Recognized as a premiere youth arts program, Eugene Ballet Academy has provided our community with a legacy of over 60 years of exceptional dance training. Whether preparing aspiring dancers for professional careers or exposing young children to the magic of dance, Eugene Ballet Academy educates, inspires and motivates.
Offering extraordinary performing opportunities between professional dancers and young dancers, Eugene Ballet casts students from the Academy in many of its professional productions plus all Academy students participate in an annual year-end production at the Hult Center.
With an emphasis on strong dance technique and an environment nurturing the arts, young and adult dancers are educated in a thorough study of classical ballet from Creative Movement to Pre-Professional levels. The curriculum is designed to enhance versatility and develop the total dancer. Training is offered in an array of dance styles including Classical Ballet Technique, Pointe, Variations, Jazz, Modern, Contemporary, Tap, Hip Hop, Acro and Conditioning classes. Ballet training incorporates a methodical syllabus with both English (Royal Academy of Dance) and Russian (Vaganova) influence.
Enriching Program
The joyous and nurturing environment of Eugene Ballet Academy provides inspiration and offers students a safe place to express themselves through movement and share their inspired training through performance. Dance is more than a physical skill. Our highly educated staff and devoted faculty provide students with a sound and full curriculum in dance. Students develop more than an education in dance, but develop life skills of self-confidence, physical fitness, respect for others and the discipline to meet the challenges of daily life.
Recognized as a premiere youth arts program, Eugene Ballet Academy has provided our community with a legacy of 56 years of exceptional dance training. Eugene Ballet Academy is committed to excellence in its role as the educational program of the professional Eugene Ballet Company. Whether preparing aspiring dancers for professional careers or exposing young children to the magic of dance, Eugene Ballet Academy educates, inspires, and motivates. Offering extraordinary performing opportunities between professional dancers and young dancers, Eugene Ballet Company casts students from the Academy in many of its productions, plus all Eugene Ballet Academy students participate in an annual year-end production at the Hult Center.
The History of Eugene Ballet Academy
Founded by Doreen Gilday and her husband Fred Ditzhazy in 1959, Eugene Ballet Academy began as a student performing group called Ballet Classique. By 1965, they had grown into a non-profit regional ballet company, Oregon Ballet Classique.
Riley Grannan, an original member of Oregon Ballet Classique, went on to dance professionally in Europe and in New York, returning to Eugene several years later with dancer Toni Pimble. In 1978, they became owners of the school and renamed it the Eugene School of Ballet.
Born in England, Ms. Pimble attended the prestigious Elmhurst School of Ballet, studied the syllabus of the Royal Academy of Dancing and later became an Associate of the Royal Academy of Dance (A.R.A.D.). For the next 10 years, Pimble and Grannan devoted themselves to the school and founded Eugene Ballet Company.
Sara Lombardi, a native Oregonian, moved to Eugene in 1978 to pursue a degree in Dance & Movement Education at the University of Oregon. After finishing her Master’s in Sports Medicine through the College of Human Development and Performance, she continued her dance studies under the direction of Pimble and Grannan. In 1985, she became a member of Eugene Ballet Company and later stepped into the role of Director at the Eugene School of Ballet, eventually purchasing the school in 1994.
In 2006, Eugene Ballet Company built a series of studios in the Midtown Arts Center in Eugene and purchased the school from Lombardi, renamed it Eugene Ballet Academy. Sara Lombardi remains Academy Director of the renamed Eugene Ballet Academy.
