MDT’s Adult Open Division

Learn the art of dance or revisit a beloved passion.

MDT’s adult dancer community is an open program, meant for all abilities and ages starting at 16.

Ballet dancers practicing at a barre in a dance studio, wearing leotards, tights, and ballet slippers.
Ballet dancers practicing at a barre in a dance studio, wearing leotards, tights, and ballet slippers.

Revisit Your Passion:
Drop-in Classes

  • Drop-in class: $23
    Students/seniors/professionals: $20
    Barre only: $16
    Pointe class: $12
    Ten-class card: $200

    Student discount: Must show an active student ID. 
    Senior discount: for dancers 65+
    Professionals: Dancers may self-identify or contact us directly with questions regarding eligibility.

    MDT accepts PayPal or check payment. You can pay in-person, or you can purchase through PayPal beforehand. If you purchase a class card or individual class online via PayPal, please show your confirmation email to the monitor prior to class start. 

    Starting June 1, we will no longer accept cash. This change will help streamline check-in, improve accuracy, and reduce administrative workload.

  • Please reference the Google Calendar below for a day-to-day live view; substitutions, cancellations, and updates will be reflected on this calendar.

    Monday

    9:30–11 a.m.

    • Intermediate/Advanced Ballet

    • Teacher: Helen Hatch

    • Accompanist: Tom Linker

    5:30–7 p.m. (NEW! June 8–August 31)

    • Intermediate Contemporary

    • Teacher: Darrius Strong

    7–8:30 p.m.

    • Intermediate Ballet

    • Teacher: Justin Leaf

    Wednesday

    9:30–11 a.m. (NEW! July 8 through August 26)

    • Intermediate Ballet

    • Teacher: Leah Gallas

    11–11:30 a.m.

    • Pointe (minimum 4 participants)

    • Teacher: Leah Gallas

    6:30–8 p.m.

    • Beginner/Intermediate Ballet

    • Teacher: Julia Sutton

    8–8:30 p.m.  

    • Pointe (minimum 4 participants)

    • Teacher: Julia Sutton

    Friday

    9:30–11 a.m.

    • Intermediate/Advanced Ballet

    • Teacher: Yuki Tokuda

    • Accompanist: Joe Strachan

    Saturday

    9:30–11 a.m.

    • Intermediate Ballet

    • Teacher: Justin Leaf

    • Accompanist: Pat Lyles

    Sunday

    11–12:30 p.m.

    • Intermediate Ballet

    • Teacher: Sally Rousse

    • Accompanist: Marya Hart

    12:30-1 p.m.

    • Pointe (minimum 4 students)

    • Teacher: Sally Rousse


  • Open Division drop-in classes are hosted year-round.

    Please reference the Google Calendar below for a day-to-day live view; substitutions, cancellations, and updates will be reflected on this calendar.

    MDT follows the following office closures in 2026–2027:

    • June 4–5, 2026 - Independence Day

    • Monday, Sep 7, 2026 - Labor Day

    • Monday, Oct 12, 2026 - Columbus Day / Indigenous Peoples' Day

    • Friday–Sunday, Nov 27–29, 2026 - Thanksgiving

    • Friday–Sunday, Dec 25–27, 2026 - Christmas

    • Friday–Sunday, Jan 1–3, 2027 - New Year's

    • Monday, May 31, 2027 - Memorial Day

For dancers with a ballet foundation, ages 16 and up.

Class Prices
A group of people practicing ballet at a barre in a dance studio, with their arms raised and focused on their movement.
A group of people practicing ballet at a barre in a dance studio, with their arms raised and focused on their movement.

Learn Ballet:
Ballet Fundamentals I & II

For beginners, ages 16 and up.

Register for Summer Mini Sessions

  • Ballet Fundamentals I 

    Learn the basics of ballet alongside other adults and teens, ages 16 and up. Fundamentals is a basic introduction to ballet and can be taken repeatedly until ready to progress to Fundamentals II or beginning level drop-in classes.

    Ballet Fundamentals II

    A continuation for those who participated in Fundamentals I looking to progress and expand beyond the basics of ballet.  

  • The Ballet Fundamentals program follows a session schedule, with regular sessions spanning 8 weeks, and mini sessions spanning 4 weeks.

  • Eight week sessions are $180.

    Mini sessions are $100.

  • Summer Mini Sessions

    Wednesdays
    Ballet Fundamentals I - 6–7:30 p.m.
    Ballet Fundamentals II - 7:30–9 p.m.

    June 3– June 24
    July 8–29
    August 5–26

    Early Fall
    September 1–October 22

    Fundamentals I
    Tuesdays: September 1–October 20
    7:15–8:45 p.m.
    Teacher: Marie Finley

    Fundamentals I
    Thursdays: September 3–October 22
    7:15–8:45 p.m.
    Teacher: Deidre Murnane

    Fundamentals II
    Wednesdays: September 2–October 21
    7:15–8:45 p.m.
    Teacher: Deidre Murnane

    Late Fall
    October 27–December 17

    Holiday Mini Session
    December 22–January 7

  • MDT follows the following office closures in 2026–2027:

    Monday, Sep 7, 2026 - Labor Day
    Monday, Oct 12, 2026 - Columbus Day / Indigenous Peoples' Day (federal)
    Friday–Sunday, Nov 27–29, 2026 - Thanksgiving
    Friday–Sunday, Dec 25–27, 2026 - Christmas
    Friday–Sunday, Jan 1–3, 2027 - New Year's
    Monday, May 31, 2027 - Memorial Day

Open Division Calendar | Day to Day

Adult Open Division Faculty

  • Black and white portrait of a woman with curly hair and glasses, smiling at the camera against a dark background.

    Leah Gallas

    Former dancer with Colorado Ballet
    & James Sewell Ballet

    Learn more
  • Black and white portrait of a young woman with long straight hair wearing a turtleneck sweater, standing against a textured wall.

    Helen Hatch

    Former dancer with Minnesota Dance Theatre, founder of HATCH Dance

    Learn more
  • A man with light-colored hair and a beard, wearing a black shirt, standing next to a wooden ladder and smiling at the camera in a studio or indoor setting.

    Ben Johnson

    Former dancer with James Sewell Ballet

    Learn more
  • A person with short dark hair, wearing a light-colored shirt with a collar, a dark vest, and a straw fedora hat with a black band. The person is smiling slightly and standing in front of a blurred background.

    Justin Leaf

    Former dancer with Minnesota Dance Theatre and James Sewell Ballet

    Learn more
  • A smiling woman with light hair, wearing a black top, standing outdoors against a blurred natural background.

    Deirdre Murnane

    Former dancer with Minnesota Dance Theatre and Ballet of the Dolls

    Learn more
  • Black and white portrait of a woman with her hair pulled back, smiling and squinting outdoors.

    Sally Rousse

    Former dancer with James Sewell Ballet

    Photo by Brooke Southall

    Learn more
  • Portrait of a young man with dreadlocks wearing a black suit and turtleneck, smiling slightly against a plain background.

    Darrius Strong

    Contemporary, Hip Hop, & Lead Outreach Teacher, founder of STRONGMovement

    Learn more
  • Julia Sutton

    Julia Sutton

    Former dancer with Minnesota Dance Theatre and Ballet of the Dolls

    Learn more

FAQs

Answers to frequently asked Open Division questions.

  • We recommend that you begin with our Ballet Fundamentals series, offering the basics of ballet vocabulary and technique. Ballet Fundamentals II is slightly more advanced than Fundamentals I, and will provide another stepping stone to prepare you for Beginning Ballet drop-in classes.

  • Although that is entirely up to you, we recommend starting with Ballet Fundamentals and moving up to Beginner/Intermediate open classes when you feel ready. Some students take a combination of these classes.

  • MDT will post a pop-up notification on the website as well as the MDT Facebook and Instagram pages. In case of winter weather, please check in those places before coming in for class. If nothing has been posted, please assume class is running as usual. 

    We will cancel classes if travel conditions are especially dangerous, or if no one is available to teach the class due to travel conditions. 

    Please email school@mndance.org if you have any questions.

  • Please register through PayPal or in person via check payment for our drop-in classes.

    Ballet Fundamentals and other special workshops require pre-registration through ActiveWorks, and the link to register can be found on this page.

  • There is no official dress code for open classes, but we recommend that whatever you wear allows for full range of motion and shows the line of your body (e.g. tights and leotard or t-shirt and leggings).

  • The students in all our classes range in age from 16 – 80. Attendance varies from night to night, so it is always a different mix.

  • Ballet Fundamentals is the first step in our adult program and is meant for students with no prior experience, providing the basics of ballet vocabulary and classroom etiquette.

    Students with previous but not extensive ballet classes or who complete our Fundamentals class are best suited for Beginning Ballet. 

  • Pointe is taught as a half-hour class following Intermediate Ballet on Sundays and Beginning/Intermediate Ballet on Wednesdays. For more advanced dancers, you are welcome to wear pointe shoes for as much of the regular classes as you wish.