Faculty & Staff

Belen Rodas

Adaptive Dance, Ballet, Modern

Belen Rodas grew up dancing at Arlington Center for Dance (now Ballet NOVA) where she studied ballet, pointe, partnering, and variations under a wide variety of esteemed ballet teachers, including Karen Blank, Carmen Perez, Keith Lee, Clark Reid, and Kathryn Fredgren. As she progressed, she also began training in modern dance with Kathy Harty Gray, Connie O’Mara, and Andrea Watkins.



While an undergraduate student at Amherst College, Belen continued to study dance in the Five College Dance Department. After graduation, she joined Kathy Harty Gray Dance Theatre where she remained for several years, performing solo and featured roles in original modern dance works.



Belen has taught dance throughout Northern Virginia for many years. Her students have been accepted to prestigious and competitive summer intensive programs at American Ballet Theatre, Boston Ballet, Houston Ballet, Washington Ballet, and San Francisco Ballet, among many others. She has coached students to Top 12 finishes in both classical and contemporary at YAGP. Many of her students have continued to dance through college as dance majors or for enjoyment, including dance majors at VCU and George Mason University.



Belen holds a B.A. in Psychology from Amherst College, a Master’s degree in Social Work (with a concentration on children, youth, and families) from Washington University in St Louis, and a Master’s Degree in Public Policy from Georgetown University. She is also a Registered-Dance/Movement Therapist and currently works in Spotsylvania County Public Schools where she provides dance therapy services to students with disabilities. Using this knowledge, training, and experience, she teaches Adaptive Dance classes for Allegro, which are her very favorite classes to teach!