Judith Svalander started her professional training in Chicago with Bentley Stone and Walter Camryn. She furthered her education in New York at the American Ballet Theatre and Joffrey Ballet Schools. At just 15, her professional experience began in Chicago, performing with the Stone-Camryn Ballet, Ruth Page’s Lyric Opera Ballet, and appearing on a weekly television series on WGN-TV.

 

Mrs. Svalander spent over seven years dancing and touring in Northern Europe, primarily in Denmark and Sweden. During this time, she trained with Alexander Danilova, Edit Frandsen, and instructors from the Royal Danish Ballet. She was also a soloist with the Swedish National Touring Theatre. A highlight of her career was filming a dance program directed by Maurice Béjart at the Royal Theater in Belgium.

 

In 1972, Mrs. Svalander returned to the area to establish her own dance school, and in 1979, she founded the Judith Svalander Dance Theatre. She has been honored multiple times with the Who’s Who Among American Teachers Award. Her school has been recognized for several years as one of Chicagoland’s premier institutions by Dance Chicago. With nearly 50 JSSB alumni pursuing professional dance careers, Mrs. Svalander remains dedicated to guiding dancers as they work toward achieving their dreams, wherever they may lead.