It's very quiet, and quite lovely, in the upstairs studio at Joseph Square where Misako Aoki-Oda rehearses her dancers for a late-summer Studio Concert Monday, Aug. 18 at noon. One dancer stands out in a piece reflecting a distant seascape -- presumably, somewhere near the Sea of Japan where the director was born. Columbia native Bridget O'Brien captures the soft, delicate movements in Misako's personal work with her own interpretative modern solo. The 17-year-old brings her own dance style to the piece, including loads of American athleticism and a smile to die for.

"Miss Misako," as the teacher is respectively called in class, opened her Misako Ballet Studio in 2003 with a handful of students. Today, nearly 100 dancers make their way up the steps six days a week to one of two airy studios above the Dunkin Donuts shop.

"We believe a high standard of excellence in dance training helps the student develop not only physically, but also in a manner with which they can build their self-discipline and positive attitude toward all areas in life," says the director.

That royal "we" includes Yoko Kuzutani, a retired performer who danced with the famous Ballet Russe, and who watched a recent rehearsal with an equally vigilant eye. Together they coached the new Misako Company through a particularly difficult variation from "Esmeralda," one of the works performed last month in Baltimore at Artscape '08 and slated again for Monday's showcase.

For this free public event, Misako has invited members of the Raphael Trio to provide live musical accompaniment. Highlights will include excerpts from ballet classics "Swan Lake" and "Giselle," as well as the Hungarian czardas, complete with colorful costumes and traditional Russian folk steps.

The Misako Ballet Company will also be holding auditions at the studio Sept. 6 from noon to 2 p.m. For information, call 410-884-9690, or go to www.misakoballet.com.

-- Carolyn Kelemen

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