Our history.
Founded in 1998 by principals Hilary Kaplan and Archibald McKenzie, Alegria has grown to include studios across Sydney.
Alegria was founded as a proprietary limited company in early 1998 by Hilary Kaplan and Archibald McKenzie. The central studios were originally located in Holt Street, Surry Hills, where the principals have conducted classes in ballet and Spanish dancing, and also teacher training, since 1997. The first intake of formal Full-Time students was in 1999.
Alegria’s teaching staff has included major professional names in Australian and international professional dancing, balletic and contemporary, since the beginning, although Hilary Kaplan has always done the bulk of the ballet teaching.
Alegria acquired several suburban branches to feed into the main major school, first in Vaucluse (a branch which was successfully moved to Bondi Junction), then in South Turramurra, Parramatta (subsequently merged with North Ryde), Orchard Hills, and North Ryde. The Chatswood branch was fitted-out and opened in early 2005 from scratch in a new development which is proceeding. This branch then moved to Artarmon.
All Alegria’s teachers are carefully chosen for their knowledge and experience, teaching skills and personality, and the principals get to know ALL the students personally through the exam preparation seminars which the principals conduct in-person for all the ballet students, and through the annual concert preparations and performances.
Alegria’s Teachers Course has also proved exceptionally successful, and virtually all graduates of this Course have started successful teaching careers, some of them subsequently making the move into management of dance schools. Alegria operated the Fundamental Teachers Course in Sydney, Melbourne and Perth, with the help of distinguished professionals in Melbourne and Perth, also personally supervised by the principals by visits and coaching and mock exams in those cities. In 2007, Alegria launched the Advanced Teachers Course in Sydney.
Spanish Dance has always held a special place in Alegria’s teaching and concerts. The international Spanish Dance Society syllabus was originally modelled on principal Hilary Kaplan’s progress through her years of studying Spanish dancing in South Africa as a child. She rose to become Dual Examiner for the Spanish Dance Society, and Spanish dancing has always been taught at Alegria Dance Studios by Hilary Kaplan, increasingly assisted by Archibald McKenzie.