A summer to remember.Summer study can be a time like no other for dancers to grow--technically, artistically, and personally. You get to dance all day long, take classes from new teachers, and surround yourself with friends who are just as obsessed ob·sess v. ob·sessed, ob·sess·ing, ob·sess·es v.tr. To preoccupy the mind of excessively. v.intr. about dance as you are! Kina ki·na n. pl. kina See Table at currency. [Indigenous word in Papua New Guinea.] Noun 1. Poon poon n. Any of several trees of the genus Calophyllum, of southern Asia, having light hard wood used for masts and spars. [Sinhalese p and Jeanette Prather talked to five dancers about their favorite summertime memories from when they were students. [ILLUSTATION OMITTED] DAVID David, in the Bible David, d. c.970 B.C., king of ancient Israel (c.1010–970 B.C.), successor of Saul. The Book of First Samuel introduces him as the youngest of eight sons who is anointed king by Samuel to replace Saul, who had been deemed a failure. PARSONS Artistic director, Parsons Dance, NYC NYC abbr. New York City NYC New York City I did a summer arts program in Kansas City when I was 12. My mother needed to get rid of me. I was fortunate enough to work with Paul Chambers and Cliff Kirwin, who had a small contemporary company called the Missouri Dance Theater. They had worked with the dance pioneer Hanya Holm, and so the Holm technique was the first that I learned. As my technical abilities grew, so did my freedom as a performer, and I realized that there was a possibility of a career in dance. The first piece that I ever choreographed was with a trampoline onstage to music by Led Zeppelin. At the end, I exited by grabbing onto a pipe and pulling my legs up as the curtain closed--never coming down. At that age the exciting thing was having so many other young people interested in the arts around me. (See Parsons Dance New York City New York City: see New York, city. New York City City (pop., 2000: 8,008,278), southeastern New York, at the mouth of the Hudson River. The largest city in the U.S. summer intensive listing on page 107.) CHRISTINA BODIE Bjm_danse, Montreal Through summer study you're exposed to all sorts of different styles and choreographers. If your mind is open, you'll soak it all in like a sponge. You'll learn new approaches to dance and get to know different teachers. You'll walk away with new styles, and each summer will help you grow as a dancer. There are a bunch of opportunities to do things you don't normally do. Take it all in, the styles and teachers. Each summer school will help you grow as a dancer. When I went to the National Ballet School The National Ballet School of Canada is located in Toronto, Ontario. The National provides a full-time program which combines classical ballet training with academic education from Grades 6 through 12 at its boarding school. of Canada and the Royal Winnipeg Ballet The Royal Winnipeg Ballet, based in Winnipeg, Manitoba, is Canada's oldest ballet company and the longest continuously operating ballet company in North America. It was founded in 1939 as the "Winnipeg Ballet Club" by Gweneth Lloyd and Betty Farrally. School, I stayed in the dorms and it was like camping. I was living with a bunch of people and having so much fun, especially at night. At Ballet Divertimento divertimento Eighteenth-century chamber music genre consisting of several movements, often of a light and entertaining nature, for strings, winds, or both. Though the name was applied (c. de Montreal, I got to work with a number of choreographers and participate in different workshops. Those were all very good experiences. Try to meet as many people as possible and keep in contact with them because you never know who's hiring down the road. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] KATIE GIBSON Corps de Ballet corps de bal·let n. The dancers in a ballet troupe who perform as a group. [French : corps, corps + de, of + ballet, ballet. , Miami City Ballet Miami City Ballet was created in 1986 with former New York City Ballet principal dancer Edward Villella helming the company. The Miami City Ballet flourishes as one of America's most respected Balanchine-style based ballet companies. Auditioning for summer intensives is always nerve-wracking. Keep trying--just because they say no one year doesn't mean they'll say no again. Try to use it to your advantage--let it make you work harder. Hopefully you improve over the year. When you go to summer programs, it's easy to get distracted. Stay focused: You're there to train and become a better dancer. And it'll help you prepare for a professional career. At the School of American Ballet The School of American Ballet is located in New York City, in Lincoln Center. It is considered one of the most prestigious and notable ballet schools in the United States and teaches some of the most talented young dancers in the country. , I remember learning Agon and it reinforced that I wanted to dance for a Balanchine-based company, so it led me in the direction of Miami City Ballet. But keep busy--don't spend a lot of time in the dorms. Take advantage of all the other cultural things, especially if you're in a city away from home. You never know if you'll return the next year. Enjoy every aspect of it! PAULI MAGIEREK Corps de Ballet, San Francisco Ballet San Francisco Ballet, or SFB, is a San Francisco, USA based ballet company, founded in 1933 as part of San Francisco Opera Ballet. The company is currently based in the War Memorial Opera House, where it is directed by Helgi Tomasson. I was probably 15 or 16 when I attended The Royal Ballet's summer program. It was my first time overseas. The Royal Ballet was my favorite company and I was in awe of everyone. I felt so honored to be there, just going to the opera house, trying different kinds of food, being in a dorm with 20 girls in one room. They have a different way of working, very Russian teachers. We learned repertoire from The Royal Ballet and had a choreography workshop as well. It was the first time I worked with choreographers on new pieces and had something made on me, which really opened my eyes. I was one of the only Americans so it was an extreme learning process. I didn't talk to anyone at first because I was so timid. It does help to go with a friend, somebody you know from home. It's nice to have a person to latch onto before you meet other people. And you always have to dance 100 percent. When we did our performance at the end, Anthony Dowell was there. You never know who's watching or what they're looking for. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] PRINCE CREDELL Hubbard Street Dance Chicago  This article or section is written like an .Please help [ rewrite this article] from a neutral point of view. Mark blatant advertising for , using . I remember what a terrific influence choreographers had on me during workshops at The Ailey School and American Ballet Theatre's summer intensive. When you get to work with teachers with such different styles, you pick up their individual techniques and tricks. It doesn't just make you want to be better--the intensive factor forces you to move in different ways and experience new dancing with your body. When you leave at night you can't go back home to your parents. You go back to the dorms so you're always living in this learning environment. Stay open and remember that you're there to learn things about yourself as a dancer. Some are obvious, and then there are things you learn through saying to yourself, "That's not what I want to do; maybe this isn't the direction I want to go." No matter what, every bit of knowledge you walk away with is valuable. |
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