The Atlanta Ballet Centre for Dance Education is pleased to announce the appointment of faculty member Amelia Murren as the new Adult Dance Coordinator. Murren has been teaching with Atlanta Ballet for three years, and now is continuing to share her passion for dance with adult dancers. At Atlanta Ballet, students are able to enjoy in-person dance classes meant to inspire, challenge, and engage every skill level and stage of life. Whether it’s ballet, tap, or jazz, students will be able to embrace the transformative power of dance and movement with likeminded individuals for a healthy and fun lifestyle.

What makes you excited about being the new Adult Dance Coordinator?
Atlanta is a cultural and performing arts hub with such a vibrant community of dancers from all different backgrounds and experiences. For adult dancers balancing busy schedules and life commitments, finding time for dance can be challenging. What makes me most excited about the Adult Dance program is the passion and dedication I witness in our students every day who make the time to come to class and give their all to each dance lesson. I'm eager to meet the needs and aspirations of our current students while also engaging new dancers eager to embark on an exciting dance journey with us.

How would you describe your pathway to becoming Adult Dance coordinator?
I love teaching, but I wanted to be more involved in the administrative side of things alongside teaching. I feel like as an adult dancer myself, I could use my own insight and experiences to grow the program.

What do you enjoy most about teaching adults?
Watching their progress and love for the art form is something that really motivates me. I like teaching all levels, but with adults specifically, you can tell that there's an innate passion for dance there. Life kind of takes us all over the place, but I feel like there's always a passion for dance. And I love seeing that.

How do you see Adult Dance growing as a community at Atlanta Ballet?
I feel there's certainly an opportunity for growth and to build a stronger sense of community between the adult dancers. Our Adult Dance socials are popular with our students and look out for one soon at The Nutcracker! However, we also need more opportunities to have conversations with each other. We want to highlight our adult dancers on the Atlanta Ballet Centre for Dance Education social media platforms so our students can make new connections and engage with other adult dancers in the Atlanta area. Then moving forward, I’d love to add masterclasses to further engage our adult students.

How easy is it for adults with busy schedules to sign up for classes at Atlanta Ballet?
On the Atlanta Ballet Centre for Dance Education website, you will find a description of the Adult Dance classes offered and the schedule. From there, select student registration and follow the options listed for Adult Dance. Registration closes one-hour before class starts, so if your schedule frees up and you decide to join a class at the last minute, you can!

You’re offering classes in disciplines other than ballet. Tell us more!
It was my idea to add contemporary classes to the adult dance program. While we do offer classes in tap, modern, and jazz, I think it's important to make alternative disciplines available to adult dancers so they can be selective if they're passionate about one of them. Making a range of options available to students is very important to me. But of course, we still offer a fantastic range of ballet class options, ranging from Absolute Beginner to Intermediate/Advanced.

What would you like current and future students to know?
Dance has completely shifted over the course of the past few years, with more focus on mental and physical well-being. It’s important to concentrate on what movement feels like versus what it looks like. It’s not about what a movement may look like to other people, but how it feels personally on your body. I always like to keep that in mind. And finally, come join us! We’d love to share our passion for dance with you!

Atlanta Ballet is excited to have Amelia Murren as the new Adult Dance Coordinator. Her guidance will help grow the Atlanta Ballet Centre for Dance Education's offerings for adult dancers, so there is something for everyone. You can catch Murren in action teaching Beginner Contemporary at Atlanta Ballet’s Buckhead Centre location.

The Atlanta Ballet Centre for Dance Education offers a wide variety of classes for Adult Dance, including:

• Absolute Beginner Ballet
• Beginner Ballet
• Beginner/Intermediate Ballet
• Intermediate/Advanced Ballet
• Modern
• Contemporary
• Jazz
• Dance for Life
• Silver Swans®

To see what is currently available and to keep an eye on upcoming classes, click the button below to view the current schedule.

AMELIA MURREN has trained in dance for 12 years and has studied the Cecchetti method, Vaganova technique, and the ABT ballet curriculum. She is a graduate of La Roche University, earning her bachelor’s degree in performing arts for dance. While at La Roche, she choreographed a piece for Human Trafficking Awareness week and performed in a piece honoring the Tree of Life Synagogue. Amelia has danced professionally in Pittsburgh through the 2019-2020 season and taught through Bodiography’s outreach program. Alongside teaching for the Atlanta Ballet Centre for Dance Education, she also serves as the Adult Dance Coordinator.