Welcome to Deborah Vinton Dance

About Deborah Vinton

Deborah Vinton is a Fellow of the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing (ISTD), London, England, and Fellow of the Cecchetti United States of America (CUSA). The Maestro Cecchetti Final Diploma was awarded to Ms. Vinton in 1995, in London, England. She became a Cecchetti Examiner in 1986 and has served on the CUSA Board of Directors for the past twenty-five years. Ms. Vinton has presented students and teachers for Cecchetti Examinations consecutively for the past thirty-five years. Many of Ms. Vinton’s students have received scholarships to universities, and have become professional dancers, teachers, and choreographers in the U.S.A. and abroad.

 

Deborah Vinton received her early Cecchetti training with the Florida Ballet in Sarasota under Jean Spear, Fellow, Examiner, ISTD.  She attended pre-professional dance programs at the National Ballet of Washington under Frederick Franklin, at Jacobs Pillow with Margaret Craske, and the National Ballet of Canada with Carol Chadwick.

 

Ms. Vinton received four years of intensive professional Cecchetti training in London, under the tutelage of two former students of Enrico Cecchetti, Nesta Brooking, and Laura Wilson. The rare opportunity of learning from instructors, who worked directly with Enrico Cecchetti, is considered a milestone in the history of classical ballet. Subsequently, mentors Shiela Darby, Mavis Hoffman, and Richard Glasstone further helped develop and enhance Ms. Vinton’s Cecchetti teacher training.

 

Ms. Vinton performed with the Royal Ballet Choreographic Group, and Maryland Ballet, where she performed respectively in London and in the Baltimore/Washington, D.C. area. During her professional career, Ms. Vinton worked with Danny Diamond, Anton Dolin, Edward Villella, and Violette Verdy among others.

 

Deborah Vinton has taught ballet and choreographed for dance companies and schools for more than thirty-five years, including the Deborah Vinton Dance Ensemble in New Paltz, New York; the State University of New York at New Paltz; and the Venice Ballet in Venice, Florida.  Ms. Vinton has been on staff for twenty years and continues teaching at the Visual and Performing Arts Center at Booker High School in Sarasota.  She served as principal of the School of the Sarasota Ballet for four years, director of the Dance Center in Sarasota, and artistic director of the Deborah Vinton School of Ballet in Sarasota. Ms. Vinton was a founding member of the Arts Community of New Paltz, New York.

 

In 2003, Ms. Vinton founded the West Coast Civic Ballet (WCCB) in Sarasota, Florida, a community-based, not-for-profit dance organization.  As Executive and Artistic Director, Ms. Vinton continued her mission to positively enhance and influence the lives of others through her commitment and involvement with the performing arts.

 

Ms. Vinton has furthered her commitment to Sarasota by establishing Deborah Vinton Dance with a diversified offering including Master Classes, Guest Ballet Teacher and Choreographer, Classical Ballet Workshops, Cecchetti Syllabi for both students and teachers, and more.

 

TEACHING/ACTIVITY:

 

Ms. Vinton recently returned from 2014 Cecchetti International Ballet Competition for Pre-Professional Dancers

 

Deborah Teaches Classical Ballet, Pointe, Ballet Repertoire and Placement Classes at University of the Arts, Summer Institute, Philadelphia PA

 

Ms. Vinton has been teaching Ballet, Pointe, Pedagogy and Senior Project at Booker VPA Program for more than twenty years.

 

Booker High School Visual & Performing Arts School

Sarasota, FL 34234