Musical talent runs deep in the Prival home. Leland Prival's father, Bert, was a Metropolitan Opera Co. ballet star, ballet master choreographer, and accomplished actor. Some of the stars, screen and television personalities who have studied with Bert Prival, include Gene Nelson, Yvonne De Carlo, Linda Kay Henning, Kris Harmon, Annette Funicello and a number of the King cousins of the King Family.
However, the studio has not been confined to teaching. Leo Damiani, then Burbank Symphony conductor, invited Bert to create and choreograph an original ballet with a revised score of Humperdinck's Opera "Hansel and Gretel," which later became an annual event. Other ballets followed. "Snow White." "Sleeping Beauty," "The Magic Flute," "Beauty and the Beast" and others round out an eight-year stay at the Starlight Bowl with Linda Kay Henning and Kris Harmon in starring roles with many talented Valley children participating.
The ballet grew from children to youth classification, then to a young professional group which moved to the Santa Monica, CA. Civic Auditorium with symphony and ballet in the round. "Snow White" was re-performed followed by Herb Donaldsen's "The Other Side of the Moon." Mr. Damiani and Mr. Prival joined forces again to produce "Hansel and Gretel" which was seen as a Christmas special on NBC television.
Bert Prival also appeared in several films, including "Puttin' on the Ritz" (1930) and "The Emperor Waltz" (1948), Rush Hour Rhapsody (1936) and Dizzy Doings (1941), and was involved in television, choreographing for shows on KTLA and NBC.
Bert Prival's school has been endorsed by Walt Disney and L.A. County Board of Supervisors member Zev Yaroslavsky. He has co-starred with famous names like Bing Crosby and Joan Fontaine.
The Privals have passed on their talent to their daughter, Elizabeth. She was featured in an article that appeared on the front page of the L.A. Times in 1996. At age 9 Elizabeth played Clara in the San Francisco Ballet Company's rendition of "The Nutcracker". At 10, in New York City, she was featured in the Paris Opera Ballet in La Bayedere, as well as featured in American Ballet Theater's production of Le Corsaire, also taped for a PBS special.
 Renata Hopkins 3 & Sophie LaFave 2 in a Pre-Ballet class. |  Leland Preval and 2nd month of Beginner Ballet students. |  Leland Prival and Beginning Ballet students take a final bow at the end of their class. |  Leland Prival strengthening and correcting posture of student, 11 year old Benjamin Norton. |
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 Renata Hopkins just turned 4, progressing in private lessons. |  Cebelle Hull, 10 and Luke Zelis, 11 |  A proud group of students after winning 2nd place in the annual "Brandon's Got Talent" competition. |  Klara Hopkins, 8 and Luke Zelis, 11 |
2nd Place in "Brandon's Got Talent" 2014
Recently Brandon Vermont put on their own version of "America's Got Talent", called "Brandon's Got Talent". Brandon Ballet student, having only had 7 months of ballet training, and competing with dozens of other acts, the dedicated and enthusiastic children performed a short ballet selection choreographed by Leland Prival, and won 2nd place!"
B.B.
Location: Pillar Pilates
25 Rossiter Street
Brandon, Vermont
(next to the Boys & Girls Club)
(802) 282-7390 or (818) 355-6607
The Brandon Ballet was established in Burbank, California in 1939 by Bert Prival. It was then known as the Bert Prival School of Ballet and Theater Arts. They later moved to Studio City. Leland and his wife Allison have been teaching classical ballet and musical theater for over 35 years in Los Angeles, CA.They brought the school, now known as the Brandon Ballet to Vermont at the end of February 2014. They offer classes and private lessons in classical ballet, voice, and acting as well as conduct musical theater workshops. They instruct both girls and boys of all ages
A Musical Heritage
About the Ballet
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