Contemporary ballet and modern dance can comprise from fifty percent to eighty percent of a dance company's repertoire.  These productions usually require less in terms of set and costume design and can therefore be realized on a more limited budget than the historically grand three-act romantic ballets.  Today’s audiences enjoy compelling, innovative works with greater accessibility than ever to the art form.

Having observed this well-established shift in the dance world, our educational approach prepares students for the demands of contemporary and modern dance with instruction specifically suited to their body type and technical ability. Our brief, but proven performance track record, places the GBA in the forefront of many American ballet schools in contemporary dance. Students work with national and internationally renowned contemporary choreographers, among them, the academy’s co-founder, Michael Shannon.  Widely sought after for his innovative choreography, Mr. Shannon is dedicated to shaping and cultivating the contemporary dance division of the academy by creating new and original works often premiered by the academy’s students.