Kelly Lannin said 30 years ago, she was fluent in all things dance, but lacked business acumen. Her longtime friend Mary Neel, who was well-versed in business, raised the curtain on an idea that would meld their skillset into an applause-worthy endeavor.

“It was [Neel’s] idea," Lannin said. "She said, ‘I have this business degree but nothing to sell; you have something to sell, but you don’t want to have your own business. I think we make the perfect pair.’”

In 1991, the duo opened The Ballet Conservatory in Lewisville in a strip mall on Justin Road. By 1997, they outgrew that spot and moved to a stand-alone building across the street.

The details

Their facility is 8,500 square feet, has five studios, including a tap studio, and sprung floors. The largest studio is used for large classes, advanced classes and rehearsals for large performances such as "The Nutcracker."


Lannin said she has been dancing all her life. She graduated from Texas Women’s University in 1983 with a bachelor's degree in dance. In 1984, she became one of the original dance instructors for LakeCities Ballet Theatre, which is the nonprofit ballet company that rehearses at The Ballet Conservatory.

“Our job is to provide a performing outlet for the serious dancer who wants to have a career in dance,” Lannin said. “A lot of our dancers go on to dance in New York City Ballet, Miami City Ballet, tons of great companies. They wouldn’t have been able to go into that environment if they didn’t have a serious environment here.”

The Ballet Conservatory students, starting as young as 2 years old, have a variety of classes available to them.

“We used to just teach ballet, jazz and tap, and now we also have contemporary, hip-hop and musical theater [classes],” Lannin said.


Also of note

Many of their teachers are former students, including Lannin’s daughter, Kendall Lannin. Kendall Lannin took many dance classes as a child but ended up earning a degree in opera. She has been teaching at the studio for six years and currently teaches musical theatre and tap to the youngest students. She also gives private voice lessons and directs summer musicals.

Some of the teachers have been with them since the studio opened.

“I don’t hire someone who doesn’t have a specialty in their field,” Lannin said. “You won’t see a ballet teacher teaching hip-hop. The tap teacher doesn’t teach ballet. I hire them because they are specialized in the field, are professionals, and they know how to treat children.”