Summer Intensive
Welcome to the Civic Dance Centre, official dance school of the Scranton Civic Ballet Company. The Scranton Civic Ballet Company was founded in 1978 by Northeast Pennsylvania's most respected dance instructor, Miss Helen M. Gaus. Originally as a regional resident company, the Scranton Civic Ballet Company is at the forefront of ballet and the performing arts in Northeast Pennsylvania.
Our school makes every effort to instill in its students the discipline and knowledge needed to approach learning in a professional way, whether one's intent is to become a professional dancer or to learn the rigorous discipline of dance to carry oneself through life.
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At "Civic," we believe that our role is to guide young dancers through increasingly disciplined levels of dance in a friendly, caring atmosphere. Creative energy, gracefulness, a heightened awareness of music and musicality, and a focus on technique are only some of the benefits our programs have to offer. The Scranton Civic Ballet Company is dedicated to bringing quality dance training within reach of young dancers to make dreams a reality.
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The Scranton Civic Ballet Company is a non-profit organization focused on dance education and performance. It is the company’s mission to educate our members and the public in the art of dance while bringing the talents of well-known artists, choreographers, and master teachers into northeast Pennsylvania for the benefit of our students as well as our audiences.
Welcome to the Civic Dance Centre, official dance school of the Scranton Civic Ballet Company. The Scranton Civic Ballet Company was founded in 1978 by Northeast Pennsylvania's most respected dance instructor, Miss Helen M. Gaus. Originally as a regional resident company, the Scranton Civic Ballet Company is at the forefront of ballet and the performing arts in Northeast Pennsylvania.
Our school makes every effort to instill in its students the discipline and knowledge needed to approach learning in a professional way, whether one's intent is to become a professional dancer or to learn the rigorous discipline of dance to carry oneself through life.
​
At "Civic," we believe that our role is to guide young dancers through increasingly disciplined levels of dance in a friendly, caring atmosphere. Creative energy, gracefulness, a heightened awareness of music and musicality, and a focus on technique are only some of the benefits our programs have to offer. The Scranton Civic Ballet Company is dedicated to bringing quality dance training within reach of young dancers to make dreams a reality.
​
The Scranton Civic Ballet Company is a non-profit organization focused on dance education and performance. It is the company’s mission to educate our members and the public in the art of dance while bringing the talents of well-known artists, choreographers, and master teachers into northeast Pennsylvania for the benefit of our students as well as our audiences.
CIVIC | THE OLD VS NEW
CIVIC
Where dance in Scranton, Pennsylvania was born. . . .
Scranton Civic Ballet Company was the idea of ballerina, director, teacher, and choreographer Helen Gaus who has been one of the leading forces of the performing arts in Northeast Pennsylvania. Throughout her career, Miss Gaus has created an extensive repertory of full length classical ballets, neoclassical and original works along with a training curriculum that has lead aspiring artists to reach their dreams.
1940's
Civic Dance Centre of the Scranton Y.W.C.A.​
Constance (Defazio) Reynolds came to America with the intensions of sharing her love for dance to her new community here in Scranton, Pennsylvania. She started a school, the Civic Dance Centre of the Scranton Y.W.C.A. which was the stomping grounds for young artists, one of them being Helen Gaus.
1958
Ballet Theatre of Scranton
As the great George Balanchine once said "but first, a school", the Civic Dance Centre was established. In 1958, Constance Reynolds started a company, the Ballet Theatre of Scranton with its affiliated school, the Civic Dance Centre. Since the start of BTOS, Helen Gaus served as ballet mistress, working closely alongside founding choreographer Henry Danton and noting his works for Reynolds. Miss Gaus was a soloist with the company since 1958, performing in the company's premiere in February of 1959 at the Masonic Temple (now Scranton Cultural Center).
1978
Scranton Civic Ballet Company
After 20 years of Miss Gaus working with the Ballet Theatre of Scranton and Civic Dance Centre (the school of BTOS), in 1978 Constance Reynolds passed the school down to her. Miss Gaus had a vision to take what was already created and expand. Miss Gaus decided to depart from the organization where she continued the Civic Dance Centre along with assembling the Scranton Civic Ballet Company with the mission of developing a repertory of the classics, the creation of new works by Miss Gaus and gifted choreographers, and giving the art of a ballet a new look to the city of Scranton.
1985
The Partnership with Wilkes Barre Ballet Co. ​
In 1985, Robert Kintz and Mary Hepner of the Wilkes Barre Ballet Company approached Miss Gaus with the idea of collaborating and creating the first ever bi-city performance. The two companies presented the holiday classic The Nutcracker at the Masonic Temple (now Scranton Cultural Center). Following the success of The Nutcracker, the two companies teamed up for a second time in the Spring to present the full length production of Coppélia at the Masonic Temple.
1987
Scranton Civic Ballet Co. & Joffrey Ballet
Jim Snyder, Associate Director of the Joffrey Ballet American Concert Group, was commissioned from New York City to choreograph three new works in 1987 for the Scranton Civic Ballet Company where he premiered Cinderella Divertissement, El Jardin Español, and Petite Suite. After his time creating on the Civic Ballet Company, the following season in 1988, the Joffrey Ballet American Concert Group came to Scranton, performing alongside the Scranton Civic Ballet Company in In Concert.
Late 1980's - 1990's
The "Golden Era"
With nearly 20 years of elegance, creation and development, Miss Gaus' Scranton Civic Ballet Company was rapidly expanding of what was the "golden era" of the ballet industry. This was the era of
1995
Regional Dance America Festival
In the early 1990's, Alexi Ramov invited Miss Gaus and the Scranton Civic Ballet Company to join Regional Dance America, a nonprofit organization empowering pre-professional dance companies across the country. In 1995, Miss Gaus and the Scranton Civic Ballet Company hosted the annual festival right here in Scranton, Pennsylvania at the Masonic Temple (now Scranton Cultural Center) with fame attendees including Barbara Weisberger, Alexi Ramov, and Josephine Schwarz, Marjorie Hassard, Nesta Toumine, and Virginia Williams