By: Amanda Reseburg

There is a familiar name in the Roanoke, Virginia, arts scene that is leaping into a new chapter. The Star City School of Ballet has been a fixture in the Roanoke community for years, teaching not just dance but life lessons to its students. Now, the school is evolving into a full-scale center for the arts with a mission to make arts education of all kinds affordable and accessible to the community.

Start City founder and director Ana Elisa Martinez De la Peña is excited about the expanded direction the school is moving toward. “We hope to become a community-focused hub for inclusive and accessible arts education and enjoyment,” she explains.

The move is more than just a growth opportunity for the school. It is a way of creating a space where people can access the resources, instruction, and space necessary to fully explore the arts and develop their craft. 

“We believe everyone should have the opportunity to experience the arts, from dance to theater and beyond,” explains De la Peña. “Regardless of their financial situation or their background.”

From Ballet to a Broad Vision for the Roanoke Valley

Since its founding in 1986, Star City has been a place for people in the Roanoke Valley to access excellent instruction and artistic development in ballet. Through the school, students have not only learned how to pirouette or plié but also how to work as a team, take criticism, and work toward big goals. 

“Dance instruction is not just for people who wish to become professional dancers,” says De la Peña. “All arts instruction can teach us applicable skills that can follow us throughout our lifetime.”

The school moved from Salem to Roanoke in 2019, and that kicked off a deepening purpose for the team. They set out to dream about opening the doors wider and aligning themselves more with the community’s creative pulse.

“We wanted to connect more closely to the community,” explains De la Peña.

That broad vision is becoming a reality with the Star City Center for the Arts. The school of ballet is becoming an interdisciplinary center designed to welcome everyone, making everything from different dance styles to performance spaces accessible and inviting.

A Home for the Arts

The expansion of Star City comes at a time when arts education is seemingly at a crossroads, and access can be wildly uneven. Rising tuition and supply costs, along with barriers to space access, can leave arts training and enjoyment out of reach for many. 

Star City has always had an eye on accessibility, even before the Center for the Arts was an idea. Through scholarships, flexible tuition schedules, and local partnerships, Star City has created a sustainable community model for the arts that is both more affordable and more widely accessible.

“We have really tried to build a family here,” says De la Peña. “We want to lower barriers and really invest in the people who love the arts.”

Offering Variety and Options

In addition to continuing its high-quality ballet instruction, the first step in Star City’s growth is to expand its roster of classes. Along with ballet, the center will offer jazz, contemporary, lyrical, tap, acro, musical theater, and hip-hop dance classes. It will also offer creative workshops in the performing and visual arts, including stage craft and costume design.

“We want students to be able to explore different disciplines under one roof,” says De la Peña.

The leadership of Star City envisions a space where creative energy can take hold. From rehearsals to performances, painting workshops to collaborative projects.

“We want to create a home for the arts in the community where everyone feels like they can belong,” De la Peña explains.

The shift represents the modern nature of community arts, reflecting the demand for broad opportunities for collaboration and education.

A Center for the Arts Built on Community Partnerships

Star City Center for the Arts has been intentionally designed to strengthen the place of the arts in the Roanoke community. Forming partnerships with local nonprofits, schools, and community organizations has enabled De la Peña and her team to ensure they can serve everyone within the community, especially those who have historically been left out of arts education.

By inviting groups to use their facilities for workshops, rehearsals, or small performances, Star City strives to become an incubator for local culture, nurturing artistic expression from the ground up.

“The arts can lift and sustain a community,” says De la Peña. “We want to serve not just our students, but Roanoke as a whole.”

Continuing an Enduring Legacy

As Star City Center for the Arts takes its place in the Roanoke arts scene, it moves forward with an important message: the arts can flourish when they are shared.

From continued ballet instruction to hosting local creative nonprofits, Star City Center for the Arts is sending a message that enjoying the arts belongs to everyone, continuing to build on an enduring legacy while becoming a central part of the city of Roanoke’s enduring spirit.