About Us

The Dance Conservatory of Maryland has been training dancers in Harford County, Maryland since it was founded in 1996. Since this time, DCM has grown to be a school that embraces all dance disciplines and offers classes in all styles of dance with a pre-professional ballet program of the highest quality. 

DCM is conveniently located 3 miles south of Bel Air at the beautiful 40-acre historic Millstad Property on Whitaker Mill Road. The DCM campus offers a friendly and positive environment, free of distractions and optimal for learning and enjoying the art of dance. Classes are held in the Headquarters Building and newly renovated Studio Theater Building, totaling 5,500 square feet. The DCM facilities include two dance studios, a studio theater with sprung floors and a spacious lobby for parents and students to wait while classes are in session.  The school office is located in the Headquarters Building.

The Dance Conservatory of Maryland offers classes for all ages and levels of interest. DCM has a recreational program which offers the very best dance training for students ages 2 through adult in a friendly and positive learning environment. The Dance Conservatory of Maryland also offers a pre-professional training program for ballet students who attend classes multiple times per week. Students at the Dance Conservatory of Maryland have the opportunity to participate in professional productions with Ballet Chesapeake as well as informal presentations at the studio theater and other venues throughout the community.

At the Dance Conservatory of Maryland, we take pride in our training philosophy that encompasses a 'whole-student' approach designed to:

• Promote the highest standards of classroom behavior.
• Assist students’ discovery of their strengths and challenges.
• Create a nurturing and professional atmosphere which supports leadership, mentorship and friendships.

A dancer who studies at the Dance Conservatory of Maryland can:

  • enjoy the recreation, movement, and fitness benefits or dance 
  • enrich the artistic and cultural life of our community 
  • earn scholarships to professional schools, colleges and universities
  • perform professionally

Dancers from our training programs have received scholarships and/or been accepted at the following schools and companies:

  • American Ballet Theater Summer Program
  • Atlanta Ballet
  • Ballet Austin Summer Program
  • Ballet Theater of Maryland (company member)
  • Baltimore School for the Arts
  • Bolshoi Ballet Academy Summer Program (scholarship to study at Bolshoi in Russia)
  • Boston Ballet Summer Program
  • Carolina Ballet Summer Program (scholarships)
  • Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet Summer Program
  • Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet Male Scholarship Program
  • Colorado Ballet Summer Program (full scholarship) 
  • Florida State University School of Dance Summer Program
  • Gelsey Kirkland Academy Summer Program
  • Goucher College (dance scholarship)
  • Harid Conservatory
  • Houston Ballet Summer Program
  • Houston Ballet Male Training Program (scholarship)
  • Joffery Ballet Summer Program
  • Julliard School
  • Kansas City Ballet Summer Program (full scholarship)
  • Kirov Academy of Ballet in Washington, DC
  • Mercyhurst College (dance scholarship)
  • Miami City Ballet Summer Program
  • Nutmeg Conservatory Summer Program (scholarship)
  • Pacific Northwest Ballet Summer Program
  • Richmond Ballet Summer Program (scholarship)
  • The Rock School Summer Program
  • The Rock School Year-Round Training Program
  • School of American Ballet Summer Program (Scholarship)
  • Towson University (dance scholarship)

DCM Students were also honored with the following awards:

  • Regional Youth America Grand Prix competition top 12 soloists and ensembles, 3rd place soloist
  • Competed at Youth America Grand Prix finals in NYC
  • Maryland Council for Dance scholarship award recipients
  • Edward Stewart Memorial Scholarship Foundation male scholarship