Charles Flachs

Charles and Rose Marie Flachs have choreographed and staged ballet and contemporary works on a regular basis for the Five College Dance Department and Mount Holyoke College.

Since Charles and Rose Marie arrived at Mount Holyoke, their guesting careers have thrived. The Flachs have taught and performed at the Pennsylvania Academy of Ballet, Jacob's Pillow, the Pioneer Valley Ballet, the Amherst Ballet, Columbia College, the University of Georgia at Athens, and the University of Wisconsin, Madison. They have also taught for the Southeast Regional Ballet Festival and the American College Dance Festival. As choreographers, they have created more than 20 ballets and staged excerpts from many of the classics.

A founding member of the CORPS de Ballet, Professor Flachs has most recently been awarded his second outstanding service award to that organization whose website he maintains.

Before focusing on teaching and scholarly activities, Flachs performed professionally with several ballet companies, including the Nashville Ballet, the Cincinnati Ballet, and Ballet West of Salt Lake City. He has performed principal roles in the ballets Giselle, Swan Lake, Cinderella, Scotch Symphony, Square Dance, and many more throughout his long career.

Professor Flachs has directed a CD's for character ballet teachers called Music for the Character Ballet Class, and has produced his own series of three CD's for ballet teachers. The first is Open Class!; the second Master Class! and the third CD, First Class!, His article on "Classical Ballet in Higher Education" was published in Ballet Alert and he has written a “History of the Nutcracker” for the Grand Rapids Ballet's new production of the Nutcracker in 2014.

Together with his wife Rose Marie, he is Co-Director of the Massachusetts Academy of Ballet, a private ballet training studio. The studio celebrated its 10 year anniversary in June of 2015.