MEDIA
Vitacca In the News
Female Entrepreneurship Grows in The Woodlands
By Teresa Otto
Passion is a common thread among entrepreneurs. “My passion in life is spreading the love of dance to the next generation of dancers and arts supporters,” Kelly Ann Vitacca says. “When you love your work, you never work a day in your life.”
Kelly Ann founded Vitacca Vocations School for Dance in The Woodlands and Houston. And she launched Vitacca Ballet, a professional contemporary ballet company during the pandemic to help keep Houston dancers employed. View full article
Vitacca Ballet, Texas’ Newest Company, Makes Its Houston Debut
By Nancy Wozny
Vitacca Ballet’s Walsh Studio buzzes with energy as company dancers pound out the driving rhythms of Garrett Smith’s riveting Hypnotic Forces. The new ballet will premiere when Texas’ newest company makes its Houston debut April 20 to 21 at the Midtown Arts and Theater Center Houston in a mixed bill appropriately titled “LAUNCH.” View full article
Vitacca Ballet & School for Dance Wins Big at The American Dance Competition | Youth International Ballet Competition Houston Semi-Final
Vitacca Ballet & School for Dance Launches 2023/24 Season
Vitacca Summer Ballet INTENSIVE 2023 Audition Announcement
Vitacca Schools Win Big
at the American Dance Competition | Youth International Ballet Competition (ADC|IBC) Houston Semi-Final
The Nutcracker 2023
The Nutcracker 2022
The Nutcracker 2021
IMAGE: TRACEY IVY
Houston Will Produce The Country’s Next Professional Dancers, Here’s Why
"Vitacca Vocational School for Dance is quickly raising the bar for dance education in Houston with world-class instruction, tailored mentorship and unique, dual-training programming."
IMAGE: TATI VICE
Montrose-based dance school heads north with Woodlands studio
"The curtain is lowering on one of The Woodlands’s most beloved dance schools, but the sun hasn’t set on high-level dance instruction in the township."
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Vitacca Vocational School for Dance expands by acquiring
PAYNE ACADEMY OF BALLET
in the Woodlands, Texas
and rebranding the school as:
VITACCA
VOCATIONAL SCHOOL FOR DANCE,
WOODLANDS
JUNE 15, 2018: THE WOODLANDS, TEXAS
Vitacca Vocational School for Dance’s Founder and Artistic Director Kelly Ann Vitacca announced today plans to acquire Payne Academy of Ballet in The Woodlands, Texas. The school will be rebranded as Vitacca Vocational School for Dance Woodlands and welcomes dancers ages 3-18. Ms. Vitacca was humbled to be asked by Payne Academy of Ballet Program Director Jim Payne and Principal Bridget Payne to take over the well-established academy as the duo moves out of state. Mr. Payne comments, “It was most important for me and Bridget to find the right person to continue what we have built for the past 17 years. Someone with compassion, integrity, and sound training principles. We feel Kelly Ann and her team are a perfect fit.” As a female entrepreneur and now new mother, Ms. Vitacca hopes this expansion will help up-and-coming dancers and The Woodlands community explore the benefits classical and contemporary dance training have to offer. “Ms. Vitacca is one of the main reasons I fell in love with dance. It was with her that I learned technical concepts and discipline. More importantly, it was with her that I learned how to express the passion and joy I feel for dance through the beauty of movement,” enthuses former student Ashley Tsai.
About Vitacca Vocational School for Dance’s Success
Vitacca was established in 2012 as Vitacca Dance Project in the Montrose section of Houston where it took over the former Dominic Walsh Dance Theater studio. Since then Vitacca has solidified its reputation as one of Houston’s top dance training programs, offering primary, pre-professional and professional dance students access to a world-class destination for dance education and rebranding itself as the Vitacca Vocational School for Dance. The school’s curriculum and culture are designed to push each dancer beyond their technical and artistic abilities and offer the education needed to pursue a long, healthy and professional career.
Successful training comes from tailoring each season’s programming to the skills and strengths of the incoming class. Artistic Director Vitacca comments, “Our goal is to help grow and educate the individual dancer allowing them to surpass their preconceived limitations. To do that, we have created a mentorship program including specific technique schedules per dancer and provide a foundation of discipline and work ethic expected in the professional world.”
The focused mission and tailored approach have paid off. Graduating students have gone on to land spots in prestigious national and international conservatories and professional companies such as Alberta Ballet, Sarasota Ballet, Boston Ballet and the iconic Juilliard School, to name a few. Brittany Broussard, now a professional dancer at Alberta Ballet, and Maddie Medina, a freshman at Juilliard, both chose the school for its strong dual-program training and focus on creating professional dancers. “I knew I would be getting the best training possible with Vitacca,” says Medina. “Vitacca Vocational School for Dance is a place where all of the faculty truly care and want you to grow to your highest potential. Without my time there I would definitely not be at Juilliard today.”
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