History

THE NEW ENGLAND DANCE CONSERVATORY was founded in 1982 by Joan
McCann.  Devoted to the arts since childhood, Ms. McCann has lived in New York
City and studied dance with some of the world’s most prominent teachers.  Her
arrival to the Springfield, Massachusetts area presented her with an opportunity to share her
knowledge and enthusiasm.  Her conception called for a curriculum offering an
equal emphasis on the major concert dance forms and the enlistment of a top-
quality faculty and staff.  As a result of a nationwide search, the husband and wife
team of Kenneth Lipitz and Shelley Ziebel were engaged as artistic directors in the
fall of 1983.  Their credentials as dancers, teachers, and choreographers working
with world-class professional companies, as well as their varied skills in ballet, jazz,
and modern dance, made them ideal for the NEDC’s eclectic dance philosophy.

In 1989, Ms. McCann arranged for the sale of the Conservatory to Ziebel
and Lipitz.  Today, NEDC has an enrollment of 400 students.  Course offerings in-
clude ballet, jazz, modern dance, tap, repertory, and creative movement for chil-
dren and adults of all ages and skill levels.  NEDC also offers courses through the
Division of Humanities at Elms College in Chicopee, Massachusetts.  Alumni of NEDC’s pre-professional pro-
gram have attended such renowned dance programs as the Julliard School, NYU’s
Tisch School of the Arts, The School of American Ballet, the North Carolina
School of the Arts, Ohio State University, SUNY Purchase and Brockport, and
UMASS Amherst, and have performed with companies such as The New York City
Ballet, Orlando Ballet directed by Fernando Bujones, Hernando Cortez and Danc-
ers, Ralph Lemon Dance Company, and the Colorado Ballet (to name just a few).