SCHOOL OF THE ARTS
History
1973 - 1999
The Minnesota Conservatory for the Arts began in 1973 in a one-room studio under the direction of Stefannié Valéncia Kierlin as The Ballet School.
Mme. Valéncia Kierlin attended the School for Extraordinaire Children Ext. Sorbonne University, the Paris Opera School, and L Ècole des Beaux Arts. She held an M.F.A. in Fine Arts and an M.A. degree in Languages and Literature from Sorbonne University, Paris and the Universidad de Carabobo, Venezuela. Mme. Valéncia Kierlin danced professionally with Ballet de Cámara, Ballet Repertorio, Briansky Ballet, Conservatorio de Danza-Rosario, L'Opera Ballet, and Rochester Chamber Ballet.
Mme. Valéncia Kierlin created a full ballet curriculum for her students, which in later years expanded to include contemporary dance forms and additional performing and visual arts programming. Many of Mme. Valéncia Kierlin’s concepts for instructing dance are still used today in classes at our school.
In addition to technique class offerings at The Ballet School, Mme. Valéncia Kierlin also established, Children in Concert, providing her students with performance opportunities. Otherwise known as “CHiC,” Children in Concert was a small children’s dance troupe that toured throughout Minnesota and Wisconsin in addition to giving local performances. Throughout the years, Mme. Valéncia Kierlin’s vision grew larger, inviting guest artists to Winona and eventually encompassing youth and young adults of a variety of ages. In 1995 “CHiC” was renamed the Dance Repertory Company and included close to 100 members, dancers and actors.
With the untimely passing of Mme. Valéncia Kierlin in 1999, MCA gained a new artistic and managerial staff. Mme. Valéncia Kierlin’s family and the board of her education foundation selected Christine Martin and Tammy Schmidt as directors.
1999 - Present
In 2004 the DRC expanded by creating a junior performing troupe, the Dance Repertory Company II, featuring the younger children of our school. Today the DRC and DRC II include members from Saint Mary’s University, Winona State University, and several public, private, and charter elementary, junior high, and high schools from the area, all who train at MCA. The DRC and DRC II continue to strive towards the original vision of this dance troupes: to share and communicate the arts to our students and with our community through dance.
Mrs. Martin and Ms. Schmidt have served MCA together for more than a decade creating new and exciting programs while remaining true to the artistic vision of the school’s founder. Under this new direction, MCA started a holiday tradition for the Winona and surrounding communities presenting the DRC’s biennial full-length production of The Nutcracker as well as The Sugar Plum Fairy Tea Party. Other programs developed in the recent history of MCA include: dance curriculum for accreditation, a tuition-free dance program for boys, dance and fitness classes for adults, the DRC II, a three-week summer intensive boarding program, summer dance and theatre day camps, and the Winona Area Youth Singers, among others.
Students and alumni of MCA have studied at and performed with: American Ballet Theatre, Ballet Chicago, Broadway Dance Center’s The Pulse, Brenau University, Butler University, Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet, Chicago Human Rhythm Project, Classical Ballet Academy, Colorado Ballet, Columbia College, Drake University, Eastman School of Music – Rochester University, Gainesville Ballet, Johnson and Whales, Juilliard, Milwaukee Ballet School, Minnesota Ballet School, Minnesota Dance Theatre’s The Dance Institute, Notre Dame, Saint Catherine University, Saint Mary’s University, Saint Olaf College, Smith College, Stanford University, Texas Christian University, The Laban Institute, University of California Riverside, University of Hamaii, University of Minnesota Twin Cities, University of Missouri Kansas City, University of Wisconsin Eau Claire, University of Wisconsin Madison, University of Wisconsin Milwaukee, University of Wisconsin Superior, Wichita State University, and Winona State University.
Today & The Future
Today, MCA has developed into a complete arts conservatory offering a full spectrum of the performing arts. MCA exists to provide quality arts education and performance by nurturing and encouraging artistic expression in children and adults. Our service to the community ranges from recreational to pre-professional dance and performing arts curriculum and programming designed to provide physical and aesthetic benefits, heightened self-respect, discipline, and confidence.
MCA is located at the Valéncia Arts Center on the Saint Teresa campus of Saint Mary's University of Minnesota. MCA is an affiliate program of the university, is a member of the SMU School of the Arts, and works closely with Cotter High School and SMU, offering accreditation for classes.
