About

At Cleveland Modern Ballet, children shine on stage through our modern adaptations of classical ballets in two annual performances: "The Pop!Nutcracker” and a spring PopBallet! Some recent spring shows have included "Beauty and the Beast," told through the music of Lady Gaga & “King of the Pride,” an energetic interpretation of The Lion King, featuring the music of Flo Rida, Imagine Dragons, classic hits from the movie, & more! Last spring’s production of "The Little Mermaid," delighted audiences with an eclectic soundtrack of hits from ballets, operas, movies, & popular music.

For the students: CMB takes pride in creating soundtracks that expose children to a wide range of musical styles, and challenges them to develop theatrical skills alongside their dance technique.

For the parents: As opposed to traditional recitals, CMB strives to create shows that are artistic & entertaining by telling stories through our Pop!Ballets.

Here, your child will use dance to build strength and confidence. Through class activities and performance opportunities, she or he will have a creative outlet to develop artistry and experience the joy of dancing.

“Cleveland's best kept secret in the dance studio world!”

— Mr. Unangst

Artistic Director

Jenni Hankey

Specializations
Ballet
Modern
Pointe
Pas de Deux
Choreography

With a background in classical ballet, Jenni has a passion for applying her experience to helping youth develop technique and artistry.

Bernadette Benda began her dancing at an early age in Northeast Ohio, with a strong focus in modern and ballet. Classes and intensives with various companies have inspired her love of dance, including Verb Ballets and the Kent Summer Workshop with Limon Dance Company. In 2017, she began dancing with North Pointe Ballet. Some of her highlights with North Pointe Ballet have been Peter Pan and The Sleeping Beauty, as well as The Chase, which was featured in What’s Your Why? She also recently performed in Cleveland Dance Project’s Season 7 Showcase, and enjoys taking various classes in ballet and modern on the weekends. When Bernadette is not dancing, she is usually found working on her Etsy shop, writing, and drawing cartoons. 

Jenni Hankey began her dance training at age four with New Castle Regional Ballet, where she had the opportunity to travel to festivals with Regional Dance America, a national association for pre-professional ballet companies. She attended the Pennsylvania Governor’s School for the Arts in Erie, PA and then received dance and academic scholarships to continue her dance education at Point Park University in Pittsburgh, PA. Later, she earned her degree from Ball State University, majoring in architecture and minoring in technical theater. Currently, she teaches ballet and choreographs modern adaptations of classical ballets at her nonprofit, Cleveland Modern Ballet. She started the school in 2011 and produces the annual spring "PopBallet!" She also enjoys creating costumes for her students and designing set pieces for her shows. Jenni has danced with Ohio Dance Theater and MorrisonDance. She currently performs with North Pointe Ballet, most notably as the title role in “Peter Pan,” and the dewdrop in “The Nutcracker.”

Past summer performances were a blast!

“The Little Mermaid” 2019

A Cinematic PopBallet!

"King of the Pride" 2018

A PopBallet! told through a music medley

PLAYLIST:

"Beauty & the Beast" 2017

A PopBallet! told through the music of

LADY GAGA

“Alice in Wonderland” 2016

A PopBallet! told through fun props and abstract imagery.

“Peter Pan” 2015

A magical PopBallet! adventure

“Grimm’s Fairy Tales” 2014

A Pop-Up Book come to life through dance

“The Wizard of Oz” 2013

A dance production set to the movie’s soundtrack

“The Secret Garden” 2012

CMB’s first PopBallet!