Submitted Photo Pictured are Megan Stefanik (right) and CRYB Artistic Director Monika Alch.

Megan Stefanik, a pre-professional student at the Chautauqua Regional Youth Ballet has been accepted at the Conservatory of Dance at Point Park University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, majoring in Dance (B.F.A) with a concentration in Ballet. Point Park University has been ranked as number three on Onstage’s list of the Top 10 BFA Programs in the country for 2016-2017 with a 10 percent acceptance rate. Megan is a member of the pre-professional division and a student of Monika Alch, Artistic Director.

Megan, daughter of Lynn and Ryan Stefanik, first stepped foot into the studio of Chautauqua Regional Youth Ballet in 2009 and has not looked back ever since. Her passion and dedication for ballet continued to grow over the years as she earned the major roles of Clara (2012), Snow Queen (2016), Dew Drop (2017) and Arabian Solo (2016, 2017) in CRYB’s annual Nutcracker production. Her other notable performances included Sylvia Variations, Red Violin, West Side Story at the Ray Evans Seneca Theater, and Eugene Onegin with the Chautauqua Opera Company. She supplemented her training at CRYB by attending American Academy of Ballet Summer Intensive at SUNY Purchase in 2017.

Apart from dancing, Megan is valedictorian of her class at Pine Valley Junior/Senior High School and was awarded an Excellence in Chemistry Award from the American Chemical Society. She was consistently on the JCC Part-Time Student Dean’s list for the academic year 2016-2017 for the spring and fall semester. She is involved in her school Student Council as a treasurer and is a part of the band, All-County Choirs and the National Honor Society.

Monika Alch, artistic director of CRYB stated, “I am thrilled that Megan got this wonderful opportunity to advance her education in ballet and participate in classes such as jazz, modern, variations and choreography. I wish her all the very best!”

Megan was ecstatic about this opportunity, stating, “It’s my dream school! I’m so grateful to CRYB and Monika because without the level of training I received here, I wouldn’t have been accepted into this program.”