Mary Munroe, director and owner of the West End Academy of Dance since it’s beginnings in 1975, began training in her hometown of Mamaroneck, New York with Betty Goodman of the Scarsdale School of Ballet. She studied the Royal Academy of Dance syllabus and took her “R.A.D. exams” under English Ballet aficionado, Arnold Haskell. She received honors and high honors. Further studies include ballet with Margaret Craske (Chechetti method) at the Metropolitan Opera Ballet School, and classes at the School American Ballet, Joffery, and American Ballet Theatre.

Mary has been influenced by many teachers, including Prima Ballerina Alexandra Danilova of the Ballet Russes de Monte Carlo, Oleg Tupine, and Ann Parsons, both of whom she studied with at the National Ballet School of Washington, D.C. She is forever indebted to her friend and mentor, Violette Verdy, with whom she studied privately while Violette was performing as a Ballerina with the New York City Ballet.

Mary graduated from the National Ballet School, and was immediately accepted as a full company member with the National Ballet of Washington, D.C. She has toured with Oleg and Mireille Briansky, New York, NY; made guest appearances with the Niagara Frontier Ballet of Buffalo, New York; been involved with a small innovative ballet company in Philadelphia, PA.; and was a charter member of the Richmond Ballet Company. In addition to ballet, she has studied modern dance with Lucas Hoving; Classical Spanish and Indian dance with “Matteo”; jazz with “Luigi” and many others. She has a firm musical foundation in the “Dalcroze” method.