CARE Ballet

Mary Jo Priest has been teaching throughout West Michigan since 2001. After training on scholarship at the School of the Grand Rapids Ballet, she was a company apprentice. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Dance from GVSU in 2007. Throughout her training, Mary Jo performed soloist roles in the Nutcracker, Cinderella, Les Patineurs, Sleeping Beauty, Giselle, and the principal role in George Balanchine’s “Valse Fantasie.” She also participated in workshops such as Joffrey Midwest and the Paul Taylor Summer intensive in NYC. Mary Jo has performed locally with DITA (Dance in the Annex) and she was cofounder and choreographer for the Grand Rapids Dance Project. She also teaches modern and jazz but her true passion is classical ballet. Mary Jo has helped to facilitate and choreograph for many children’s ballet productions including The Nutcracker, Don Quixote, Swan Lake, Cinderella, Coppelia and Sleeping Beauty. Her former students have moved on to win awards, scholarships and professional dance opportunities. Mary Jo is excited to be joining the faculty at CARE Ballet.