Few extracurricular activities require the kind of dedication, discipline and sacrifice of ballet.  While they make dancing look effortless, those lovely, graceful ballerinas are the product of rigorous training, about 10 months a year.

Ballet requires a serious commitment.

“They have to have a lot of energy, stamina and strength,” Canton Ballet artistic director Cassandra Crowley says about her young dancers. “The kids we see on TV on the Olympics are what we are striving for, although obviously we don’t train quite as hard as they do.”

During the school year, Canton Ballet company dancers head to its studios after school Monday through Thursday, dance all day Saturday plus Sunday afternoon. Friday is their sole day off. In the summer, they are required to attend a five-week program.

“They spend about 20 hours a week here. It’s like a part-time job,” Crowley says. “They take class five of those days, and each of those days plus one more they rehearse for upcoming performances.”

Some dancers start classes as young as 3, others at age 10, most somewhere in-between. “They start out with (classes) once a week, then twice a week, then three times; pretty soon they’re here six days a week,” Crowley says.

A smaller yet integral part of the program is Canton Ballet’s male dancers, who partner the girls onstage. Lifting ballerinas overhead requires strength.

“We start the guys when they are quite young, and as soon as we can, we put them onstage for performances,” Crowley says. “Because there’s fewer of them, the guys get more (onstage) opportunities than the girls do. What really keeps them interested is the partnering and the lifting.”

While Canton Ballet consumes plenty of their free time, the young dancers lead balanced lives.

“They fit most of their social lives in. They go to their proms and they go to the games, but of course they have to make decisions. They can’t hang out at the mall,” Crowley says. Academically, “they are all on the honor roll and a lot of them have straight A’s,” she says.

By proximity alone, the dancers become a close-knit family. “They always say the best friends of their life are the ones they make at Canton Ballet,” Crowley says.

 CANTON BALLET’S 2008-09 SEASON

All performances are at the Palace Theatre.

— “Peter and the Wolf” and family-oriented short pieces including “Bugs” and “Crayons.” Oct. 18 and 19, 2 p.m.

— “The Nutcracker,” a lavish holiday favorite. Dec. 12, 7:30 p.m.; Dec. 13, 2 and 7:30 p.m.; Dec. 14, 2 p.m.

_ “Japanese Dances,” a program blending ancient Asian cultures with classical ballet and modern dance. April 3, 7 p.m., and April 4, 2 p.m.

Season subscriptions are available. For ticket details and more information, visit www.cantonballet.com.

 ACCOMPLISHED ALUMNI

Many former Canton Ballet dancers have gone on to dance-related careers.

— Zachary Catazaro Clark is a member of the New York City Ballet’s corps de ballet.

— Ashley Spencer is starring as Sandy in “Grease” on Broadway.

— Tommie “T.J.” Jenkins is performing in “Jersey Boys” in London’s West End.

— Lauren Engleman has danced with the Metropolitan Opera, Washington National Ballet and two modern-dance companies in Manhattan.

— Amanda Kloots toured in “Spamalot” and “42nd Street” and danced with the Rockettes.

— Dillon Shifferly has joined the corps de ballet of Dayton Ballet.

— Kelly Yankle is dancing with the Cincinnati Ballet.

— Toby George danced with the Royal Winnipeg Ballet.

— Anne Shaheen and Alicia Cutler were leading dancers with Ohio Ballet.