Ballet Instructor

Chelsea Rittenhouse received most of her classical ballet training at the Academy of Dance Arts in Red Bank, New Jersey under the direction of jennifer James Church, from 2001-2007. At the Academy she trained under the Royal Academy of Dancing syllabus where she was a successful candidate for several children’s and pre-professional examinations. She received the highest honor of distinction on all exams taken. While at the Academy of Dance Arts she danced with their resident pre-professional company the Company of Dance Arts. Here she had many performance credits such as Clara, in Peter Anastos’ the Nutcracker and then progressing to Sugar Plum and Snow Queen; Yvonne Lamb Scudiery’s Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs as Sleepy and her Wizard of Oz as Dorothy; Peter Anastos’ Sleeping Beauty and Daniel Catanach’s Tangoed as the Lead and Pas de deux. Chelsea attended summer programs at prestigious schools such as Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet, Washington Ballet of D.C in the highest level and two summers at the Miami City Ballet in their trainee level Advanced II.

After graduating performing arts high school in 2007 with a Rising Star award and scholarship Chelsea went on to join New York Theatre ballet under the direction of Diana Byer and Christina Paolucci. Here she toured and performed many corps to soloist roles. Performance credits include their Nutcracker, Sleeping Beauty, and Cinderella. She performed in Antony Tudor’s Lilac Garden as the girl in green, coached by the late romantic ballerina Sallie Wilson; This kicked off the Antony Tudor Centennial Celebrations in 2008 and is recorded on file in New York City’s Public Arts Library. Chelsea also performed in excerpts from Agnes de Mille’s Brigadoon, Carousel, and Oklahoma; coached by Gemze de Lappe. Chelsea had the honor to perform at the Jacob's Pillow Dance festival in 2007 and 2008. She then moved on to perform with Daniel Catanach’s Urban Ballet Theater performing the principle roles of Snow Queen and Dew Drop in his Nutcracker in the Lower.

Chelsea is now entering her third season as a principle with Urban Ballet Theater and is teaching and choreographing across New Jersey. Chelsea is also a resident guest teacher and choreographer at Howell High School's; FPAC. Along with dancing and teaching she has started her own company; Ballet Soul, that debuted last summer.