Evergreen
School
of Ballet
ESB Students of the Month for October 2024 are: Elizabeth Gillen, Ellie DiCerbo, Ellie Hughes, Jude Jansen, and Skyler Bixler!
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About Us
Founded in January 2019, we offer small classes in a welcoming environment for ballet dancers of all ages. Our director, Gabrielle Palmatier Marshall, has had great success as a performer, choreographer/director, and as a teacher of ballet.
Our two locations are conveniently located just off Evergreen Parkway, about halfway between downtown Evergreen and the Bergen Park area.
Students and parents are given regular feedback on their progress. Our unique and highly developed curriculum allows dancers to build a foundation of solid technique while also enjoying expressing themselves through movement.
We offer a variety of packages based upon the number of classes your dancer wants to take. Every student gets a free private lesson where Ms. Marshall will evaluate their skill level, determine what sizes they need for attire, and consult with the parents and/or student on the appropriate class(es).
Both boys and girls are welcome in our classes. Ballet instruction teaches young people the value of discipline and hard work, improves body fitness and coordination, and builds self-confidence.
Class lengths vary from 40 to 70 minutes depending upon the maturity and the developmental needs of the students. For more advanced ballet dancers looking for intensive instruction, we offer private/semi-private sessions by appointment.
The Evergreen School of Ballet is a family-owned division of
Meet Our Director
Gabrielle Palmatier Marshall began her dance studies at the age of three in Syracuse, NY. In her teens, she was accepted into the prestigious Washington School of Ballet and appeared in several Washington Ballet productions.
She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree Cum Laude with a double major in Psychology and Art from the State University of New York at Albany. Moving to California, she studied at the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising and launched her own design line.
Missing her first love of ballet, she was soon invited to join the Media City Ballet and was a frequent featured soloist. She was also a company member with Blankenship Ballet and Ken Walker Dance and was on the dance faculties of the Masterpiece Dance Theatre and the Redondo Beach School of Dance.
Marriage and children led Gabrielle to Rockwall, Texas where she taught ballet and staged productions while on the faculty of the Royalty Dance Academy.
Gabrielle has directed several successful ballet productions featuring her students and has designed and taught ballet intensives in Los Angeles and the Dallas, Texas area.
Mrs. Gabe (as her students call her) and her family are happy to be in Evergreen where her husband was born and raised.
Mrs. Gabe's Approach to Teaching Ballet
I was trained in the Vaganova style of ballet, perhaps the most widely practiced style of ballet instruction. The steps in Vagonova's syllabus build on a carefully developed progression in which the "basic" or "preparatory" forms are mastered before the dancer moves on to more difficult forms. The syllabus is founded upon the idea that before a dancer is introduced to a step, he or she will have developed the correct strength and foundation in order for their steps and movements to be successful. It is understood that this strength-building requires time and consistent work.
My experience in teaching young dancers, and especially my own children, is that you can teach sound fundamentals but the younger the dancer, the more important it is to break down each technique into very small pieces. You also have to make it fun! I use metaphors and stories to help dancers understand how the movement works..
As a mother of three, I believe parents need to be able to trust us to treat their children with compassion while also challenging them to do their very best at all times. Our Family and Military discounts and ESB Scholarship Program allow us to make sure every student has access to the gift of dance.