About us

Until the dance department was established, lessons were only given at private ballet schools of various specializations and levels, and naturally, without a uniform teaching method. From the very beginning, the dance department attracted prominent figures in the world of dance. The leading dance journalist, critic, and librettist, Prof. Jan Reimoser (also known as Jan Rey), played a significant role in its establishment and became its first director. The teaching staff included such personalities as Zora Šemberová, Saša Machov, Robert Braun, Dr. M. A. Tymichová, Laurette Hrdinová, Anna Dubská, and others. From the very beginning, the teaching was conceived as a comprehensive dance education, including professional theory. The original four-year study program included classical dance, modern dance, and, of course, authentic and stylized forms of folk dance. Among the first graduates were Eliška Boňková, František Halmazňa, Hana Machová, Nataša Rybínová, Miroslava Vlášková, Věra Urbánková, and, in subsequent years, they were joined by Vlasta Šilhanová, Věra Untermüllerová, Lubomír Rešl, Zdeněk Doležal, Marta Synáčková, Pavel Šmok, Otto Šanda, Naděžda Blažíčková, and many others. Each name is a household name in Czechoslovak ballet (see the detailed list of graduates).

The 1959/1960 school year brought a change in the length of study. It was extended to five years to meet the needs and prepare graduates for dance practice. A significant stimulus for classical dance teaching was the visit of outstanding representatives of the Russian ballet school, A.M. Zhukov and O.A. Ilyina from Moscow, who introduced Czech teachers to a well-thought-out method of teaching classical dance. In the 1960s, the teaching staff was expanded to include notable personalities such as Růžena Mazalová, Zdeněk Doležal, Antonín Landa, Karel Lukšík, Jaromír Petřík, Jarmila Chourová, Gabriela Rumlová, Eva Melicharová, Olga Pásková, František Bonuš, Míla Urbanová, Libuše Hynková, Věra Urbánková, and Jožka Šaršeová, among others. Zora Erbanová came from Brno. Starting in the 1967/1968 school year, the program was expanded to include three preparatory years, so that students could begin their studies in the sixth grade of elementary school. In the 1973/1974 school year, the preparatory years were extended from three to four years. The teaching staff was further expanded to include leading soloists from the National Theatre Ballet in Prague: Astrid Štúrová, Jelena Kovalevská, Zinaida Kohoutová, and Jaroslav Slavický. Albína Kliková and Jiří Paclík also began working at the school, as did Markéta Záděrová and Mirka Vlášková in the field of modern dance.

In 1976, a folk specialization study program was created to train young people for the Czechoslovak State Song and Dance Ensemble. The ensemble’s choreographers, Libuše Hynková and Věra Svobodová, and conservatory dance department teachers Míla Urbanová and Bohumil Muchka were instrumental in establishing this program. Another folk specialization class was opened between 1981 and 1985, and between 1985 and 1989.

In 1978, a law was passed establishing an eight-year Music and Dance School (HTŠ). The dance department of the conservatory was transformed into an independent educational institution specializing in dance. Teaching began in the 1980/81 school year in the building at Křížovnická 7, with Zora Erbanová as the first director and Albína Kliková as her deputy. Pupils were accepted for study after completing the 4th grade of elementary school, and their studies could be completed with a school-leaving examination and a diploma. From 1985 to 1989, Josef Bádal was the director of the school, with Albína Kliková continuing to serve as his deputy.

In 1990, a new school statute was approved, establishing a state conservatory known as the Prague Dance Conservatory. Jiří Paclík served as the school’s director until 1996, with Eva Melicharová as his deputy. Starting in the 1990 school year, a five-year program in modern and folk dance was launched, accepting students who had completed their primary education. In 1995, the program was discontinued due to an amendment to the Education Act. In 1996, Jaroslav Slavický was appointed director and led the conservatory until 2024. Eva Melicharová served as deputy director until the end of the 2001-2002 school year, and Zuzana Gančevová took over the position in the 2002-2003 school year. From 2009 to 2015, Miroslav Hajn held this position. From 2015 to 2024, Yvetta Hubičková took over the position. In 2024, Jiří Horák became the deputy for specialized subjects. At the beginning of the 1998-1999 school year, the position of Deputy Director for VVP was established to improve the level of VVP teaching, and PhDr. Evelína Beranová was appointed to this position. Since 2002, the deputy for VVP has been Mgr. Danuše Kábrtová, who served as the statutory deputy director from 2015 to 2024. In 2024, Mgr. Marie Pšenicová became the statutory deputy director of the school. Since the 1999-2000 school year, the curriculum has also been modified in cooperation with the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports of the Czech Republic to allow students in the second cycle of study to choose one of three main fields of study: classical dance, modern dance, and folk dance. Since 1. 1. In 2001, the Prague City Council became the school’s founder, and from 1 January 2002, the school was transferred to the Prague City Council’s administration. 10. In 2002, the school was renamed the Prague Dance Conservatory. In 2002, as part of the Internet to Schools initiative, the school acquired a computer classroom and, through the renovation of the attic, a video classroom, student lounges, a gym, and changing rooms for teachers of specialized subjects. In 2024, MgA. Pamela Morávková was appointed school director, a position she still holds today.