About Our School

The Jo Emery Ballet School has been a cornerstone of Performing Arts in Tacoma for years. It is also the home of the Tacoma Performing Dance Company. The faculty consists of Jo Emery, Teresa Dobbins, Amity Howell-Sloboda and assorted guest teachers.

Classes range from Pre-Ballet to Advanced Ballet with children starting as young as 4 years old. Jazz and Modern dance lessons are also available.

About Jo Emery

As a Master Teacher of Dance, Jo Emery is well known for her alumni students who have had outstanding professional careers in the dance world. In her early years of teaching, the ballet school was selected for the Ford Foundation Training Program conducted through the School of American Ballet in New York City.

She has produced students who have been accepted at The Ailey School, American Ballet Theatre, Boston Ballet School, Burklyn Ballet Theatre, Canada's Royal Winnipeg Ballet School, The Harid Conservatory, Houston Ballet Academy, Joffrey Ballet, Kirov Ballet Academy, Milwaukee Ballet School, Pacific Northwest Ballet, Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre, The Rock School of Dance Education, San Francisco Ballet School, School of American Ballet, School of Ballet Chicago, School Of Oregon Ballet Theatre, and Summer Dance Lab.

Jo has also guided dancers to careers with The Joffrey Ballet, Hartford Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, and other major companies. Emery has continued to pursue her teaching goals to enhance training for dancers who seek professional careers.