CCA Midwest Committee

10/12/2025

Next up for our Fall Workshop faculty is our very own beloved Rosina DeVries!

Make sure you’re registered for classes! We are a week away! October 19th at

Rosina DeVries was born and raised in England where she received her early
training with Elizabeth Swan at the Weston Schools of Dancing. She later
studied with Viccy Chappell at the London College of Dance, where she
received her Teaching Diploma with Distinction and was awarded the
Maestro Enrico Cecchetti Diploma. During her training for the Final Diploma
Rosina was awarded both the Diana Barker Award for Cecchetti Ballet and
the Lisa Osbourn Award for Classical Ballet. Rosina danced with the
Chelmsford Ballet Company and Newpalm productions. Teaching has taken
Rosina to Greece, New York, where she also choreographed for the Rockland
Youth Dance Ensemble, and North Carolina where she was the head of the
Cecchetti program at City Ballet of Raleigh. Currently she is on faculty at
Dance Center Evanston in Illinois and guest teaching at various workshops
and summer programs. Former students have moved on to study at the School
of American Ballet, The Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School at American
Ballet Theatre, The Juilliard School and NCSA, as well as performing with
The Richmond Ballet, Carolina Ballet, Ballet Theatre of Maryland and New
Jersey Ballet.. Rosina is a Diploma Fellow and Examiner with the Cecchetti
Council of America and serves on the CCA National Executive Board of Directors.

10/11/2025

We can’t wait to dive into some Cecchetti next weekend with guest teacher and examiner, Karen Keith!

Read about her below:

Karen Keith, DFCCA, is a CCA Examiner and Executive Board member. She currently serves as the Assistant National Registrar and organizer of the CCA International Summer School. She is a frequent guest teacher at ballet workshops and teacher refresher courses. Karen began her ballet training with Pamela Rutledge and continued her studies with Lee Ann King and Marjorie Randazzo. To further her education, she attended courses in both Canada and England where she was awarded the Rita Emerson Shield in 2002 by the Cecchetti Society of England. Currently Karen is on faculty at the River Raisin Centre for the Arts, teaching Primary through Advanced. She also serves as the Assistant Director of the River Raisin Ballet Company.

10/10/2025

We are so pleased to welcome Madame Peff Modelski as a guest teacher for our upcoming Fall Workshop on Sunday, October 19th
Read more about her below:

MMe Peff, born in New York City trained with Margaret Craske, at trh Metropolitan Opera ballet
School. Also at the School of American Ballet, and American Ballet Theatre School. She
graduated from the famous High School of Performing Arts. She has been a ballet dancer,
Broadway dancer, a choreographer, an actress and has directed ballets, musicals and coached
dancers for competition. Taught at Steps NYC for 30years. Currently teaching at Visceral
Dance Centre and the Chicago Arts Academy.
A 6 decade professional career with ballet companies, in New York and Europe, in several
dance disciplines, has given her an international knowledge of how the art form is
accomplished/maintained at such a high standard.

10/03/2025

🚨‼️New merch alert ‼️ 🚨

Look for these new Midwest Committee T-shirts at our upcoming October Workshop!

09/09/2025

Posted • ✨ Save the Dates! ✨
We’re thrilled to announce that the Cecchetti International Summer School 2026 will take place July 6 – July 18, 2026! 🌍🩰

Mark your calendars for two incredible weeks of training, inspiration, and community with dancers and teachers from around the world. Stay tuned for more details on faculty, classes, and registration.

06/05/2025

Some nice photos from recital 2025

05/01/2025

A huge congratulations to all of our Cecchetti Midwest students who passed exams this past weekend! We had students from Primary 3 up to Intermediate (VI).

Big thanks to our teachers for preparing these young people and inspiring them. And of course, thank you to the families who support them everyday. You all should be very proud 💐🌷

03/05/2025

📚 This Cecchetti Ballet Workshop was one for the books! 📚

💫 Thank you to this year’s incredible teachers Breon Arzell, Lucas Segovia, Laurie Papovich and Jacqueline Farina for teaching such incredible classes and helping these hard-working dancers along their path of improvement. Thank you to ALL of the students for choosing to spend your Sunday improving your skills and honing your craft. Keep it up!

02/17/2025

02/17/2025

We are thrilled to introduce our next Syllabus guest teacher for this weekend’s workshop!

Laurie Papovich, DFCCA (she/her) grew up in the Cecchetti Method at her sister, Kathleen Tenniswood’s studio. As a teacher, Laurie had the privilege of studying with Charter Board Member Marjorie Hassard, as well as Linda Butler and Ann Parsley. Ms. Papovich holds the honor of achieving the Diploma teaching certificate of Maestro Cecchetti’s Method of Ballet and has been teaching the Method for over 48 years. Laurie is honored to serve as the 1st Vice President of the National Executive Board for Cecchetti Council of America, as well as a Principal Examiner and Liaison Officer. You may have met Laurie at Hope College, where she is the Counselor Coordinator and Dorm Liaison for CCA International Summer School. Laurie is also the Chairperson of the Scholarship Committee for the Council. Currently retired as a business owner, Ms. Papovich was the co-owner and Artistic Director of Main Stage Center for the Arts and Nouveau Dance Company in Michigan. She largely attributes her current and former students’ successes to the technical discipline and artistry of the Cecchetti Method. In her spare time, Laurie loves cooking, gardening and spending time with her family and four dogs.