Featured Alumni
Sarah Kennedy
“I studied at Seneca School of Performing Arts for seven years, graduating in the spring of 2019. I studied primarily classical ballet technique, and pointe, while participating in the many performance
opportunities provided by our touring studio company. SSPA was like a second home during my adolescence and it taught me valuable lessons of hard work and dedication.
Since leaving the studio in little Dundee NY, I moved to Ohio and am pursuing a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Dance from The University of Akron. At UA, I study Vagonava and Balanchine ballet technique every day, along with codified modern techniques such as Horton, Limon, and release technique. Most recently, I completed my second year of undergrad, with honors, having created multiple dance films and projects despite the pandemic restricting our ability to perform.
The biggest thing I learned from training at SSPA is that the excellence of your art has nothing to do with the fancy school you train at or the big city you come from, but the amount of work that goes into it. The inspiration from my teachers here has carried me through many years of hard work and I wouldn’t trade my time at SSPA for the world.”
– Sarah
Amy Stuart
My love for movement first began at age 5 in Dundee, NY. Growing up in such a rural area, I was beyond fortunate to have someone as experienced, dedicated, and passionate as Mrs. Siegfried for my first ballet instructor. Throughout my years of training at the Seneca School of Performing Arts, I discovered a drive to pursue dance as my professional career. I began supplementing my training with additional summer intensive programs, most regularly attending the New York State Summer School of the Arts (NYSSSA) School of Ballet in Saratoga Springs. In 2015, I graduated from the Conservatory of Dance at SUNY Purchase College with a Bachelor of Fine Arts, and a concentration in ballet. Upon graduating, I danced professionally with the Rochester City Ballet for four consecutive seasons, regularly appearing in featured roles. I have also enjoyed guesting, choreographing, and teaching for other companies and schools, most recently performing with CONTINUUM Contemporary Ballet in Bryant Park, NYC (2018), and the Keuka Lake Music Festival (2019). Since the Coronavirus pandemic, I began training for my comprehensive Pilates teaching certification through Balanced Body. I can attest that my time with Mrs. Siegfried at Seneca School of Performing Arts truly inspired, cultivated, and encouraged me to pursue my dreams!