Most people are aware of the health benefits of dance, whether as a profession or a hobby. Dancing not only stretches the muscles but also helps strengthen them, enhance flexibility, and improve posture, balance, and coordination. The physical exertion of dance also offers numerous mental health benefits, such as reducing stress and promoting relaxation.
However, one area of dance that is often overlooked in this regard is ballet. Despite being one of the most respected forms of dance, it has broader connections to other forms — and to culture as a whole — that are not well understood by many people. Ballet has a rich cultural history dating back centuries to the Renaissance, and its proliferation since then has seeped into virtually every other form of dance in one way or another.
Blending traditional and contemporary dance is nothing new, but the approach taken in doing so still can be. That’s why, as we enter further into 2026, one ballet school in Virginia is transforming its curriculum to become a comprehensive cultural center for the arts in Roanoke. In doing so, it aims to help bring more creative-minded people together to share a collective love for the arts.
Roanoke’s latest center for the arts
In the heart of the Roanoke Valley is Star City School of Ballet, a center for individualized, professional dance instruction that has been operating in Virginia since 1986. In 2019, the school relocated from Salem to Roanoke and established itself as the premier studio for people to learn and immerse themselves in a love of dance.
Coming into 2026, Star City is expanding. A slight shift in focus is allowing Star City to evolve into a full center for the arts in the Roanoke Valley.
“We are soon going to have another full-sized studio where people can learn new forms of dance,” explains Ana Elisa Martinez De la Peña, Chief Executive Director of Star City School of Ballet. “We will be able to host small performances as well.”
It is an evolution that has been a long time coming for the dance school, and one that Martinez De la Peña and her staff hope will bring even more people into the wonderful world of dance.
A bold leap forward with space for creation
For Martinez De la Peña, Star City represents a bold leap forward, letting the community know that the school is not just a space for learning ballet but a hub for technical and creative excellence in a wide range of creative pursuits.
“We are expanding our space to host anyone who requires it, starting with non-profits but also for creators, artists, professionals, and entrepreneurs in our area and beyond,” Martinez De la Peña says. “Ultimately, we just want to help creative people express themselves.”
The move includes a remodeled waiting area and a host of new classes covering a wide range of creative interests, including costume design, other areas of dance, prop-making, and production design.
Teaching skills that carry creatives through a lifetime
Star City has always been more than just a dance school, even before it considered expanding. The school’s values include quality dance education that teaches “professionalism through dance,” lessons that students can carry with them into other industries as they mature.
“We believe in making all of our dancers hireable,” says Martinez De la Peña. “Skills like adaptability, teamwork, and accepting criticism create strong professionals in and outside of the dance industry.”
What sets Star City apart is its boutique approach to the study of dance, which allows each dancer to choose their own path. From small class sizes to connections with some of the best programs and teachers from around the globe, Star City’s approach allows dancers to compete at the level the dance world requires.
Star City also finds teaching young dancers to take care of their bodies to be of the utmost importance. “We want our dancers to learn how to rest, to recognize burnout, and to strengthen themselves so they can keep on dancing for longer periods,” says Martinez De la Peña.
The school prides itself on prioritizing family time, giving young dancers enough rest time when they are not in class. “This space is their space, too,” Martinez De la Peña says. “Our door is always open, and families are always welcome.”
Star City caters to dancers who seek to increase their stamina as well as their technique. It also provides dancers enrolled in its pre-professional programs the opportunity to take as many classes as they want each week without an extra charge, which can amount to 15 additional hours of training per week.
With its recent expansion into new commercial styles of dance (including acro, contemporary, hip-hop, lyrical, musical theater, and tap) and evolution towards becoming a Center for the Arts, Star City is leaving the door open for even more types of creatives to take advantage of its specialized approach to instruction and cultivation of craft.
A place for all artists
In Roanoke, dancers usually have to choose between great ballet training or great commercial dance training, but not at Star City. Although the school doesn’t believe ballet is superior to other forms of dance, it does believe that a strong understanding of ballet is crucial to training other types of dancers.
“We use ballet as a base to train discipline, musicality, and technique,” explains Martinez De la Peña. “Cross-training is very important to us, as it expands our knowledge, trains different muscle groups, and makes us fall more in love with the arts.”
As 2026 begins, the staff is preparing to host the Joffrey Workshop on February 28 and March 1st. They are also open for studio rentals and are inviting new students to begin intensive study in preparation for audition season.
With the new year and a new focus on expansion, Martinez De la Peña and her team aren’t straying from their path as a ballet school, but are opening up their resources to share them and the arts with the Roanoke community to make Star City a true center for the arts.
