Dancers will attend summer intensives in Abingdon, Bristol and Kingsport. Shown are students at Highlands Center for Ballet Arts.
DANCE
BRISTOL BALLET
Bristol, Va. • 276-669-6051
www.bristolballet.org
• JUNE 18-22: The Firebird for ages 9-12 will be held Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Learn about the story, the choreographer and composer, and assemble a book about the ballet. $150.
• JUNE 25-30: Angelina Ballerina II for ages 3-5 will be held Monday-Friday, 9:30-11 a.m. Learn values and have fun with different Angelina Ballerina stories. $80.
• JUNE 25-30: The Firebird for ages 6-8 will be held Monday-Friday, 11:15 a.m.-1:15 p.m. Learn about this famous ballet, watch some of it on DVD, and make craft souvenirs related to the story. $100.
• JULY 9-20: Summer Intensive for intermediate and advanced dancers will be held Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Sarah Bumgarner and other guest artists will instruct ballet, jazz, modern dance, choreography and variations. $200 for one week, $300 for two.
According to artistic director Michele Plescia, "Summer studies give children a different perspective on dance and ballet classes. There is no pressure to achieve a certain amount of technique or put together a production. We can spend time on things related to dance that we don't always have time for during the regular season, but are a necessary part of their dance education. Dancers should know terminology (and how to write and spell the terms), music structure, costuming, other forms of dance, dance history, ballet stories, and biographies of important people in the arts throughout history; the list is endless. Summer is a great time to spend on this in more detail. We touch on all these things during the regular season, but can't devote a huge chunk of time to it."
HIGHLANDS BALLET
Abingdon, Va. • 276-623-0822
www.highlandsballet.org
• JULY 23-28: Summer Intensives will feature classical ballet, pointe, variations, and contemporary dance. Class times for advanced dancers are 9 a.m.-4 p.m. ($175), intermediates 9 a.m.-2 p.m. ($130). Master teachers will include Joan Buttram, associate professor, founder and artistic director of Imoversotu pf Geprgoa Ballet Ensemble, Athens, Ga.; and Sean Hilton, a professional dancer with Armitage Gone Dance in New York City.
• To Be Announced: Kindermusik® Adventures Camp (ages 2-5), Tiaras & Tutus (ages 4-8) and Around the World (ages 6-8). Call for dates and times.
"Highlands Ballet has offered summer intensive study since 1994, adding Kindermusik® in 2001," according to artistic director Deanna Cole-Roberts. "Summer camps include arts, crafts, and music exploration related to dance studies. Students participating in the Around the World dance camps will learn about the culture of various countries."
She continues, "Intermediate and advanced students in the Summer Intensive concentrate on dance history, technique, performing proficiency, choreography and repertoire. Studies include ballet, pointe technique, jazz, modern, mime, contemporary, and Spanish dance. Working with different teachers, different styles of dance, and the study of choreography encourages versatility in movement while developing the mind as well as the body. Such exposure helps to expand a student's capabilities, producing a more balanced and experienced dancer and performer."
KINGSPORT BALLET
Kingsport, Tenn. • 423-863-1280
www.kingsportballet.org
• JUNE 11-29: Students in the Summer Intensive typically range in age from 9 to 20, but in the last six years younger students (ages 6-10) have been offered a beginner workshop. Participants may choose full-day or half-day programs (mornings or afternoons). Programs focus on dance - ballet and pointe, variations, contemporary, character dance, jazz, and modern - as well as fitness, nutrition and health. Beginner and intermediate dancers will work on ballet floor barre, pre-pointe, flexibility, and artistry. Advanced dancers will learn challenging choreography and classic variations, and daily partnering with professional guest instructors. Students also get a taste of other forms of dance and cross-training opportunities they might not have time for during the school year. $150-$800 (scholarships available).
• JULY 3-26: Angelina Ballerina camp will be held on Tuesdays and Thursdays (at 10 a.m. for ages 3-4 and at 11 a.m. for ages 5-6). Students focus on dance movement (a pre-ballet technique), learn about a famous ballet such as Swan Lake, and take turns acting out different roles. They also work on a ballet-related craft, which they take home at the end of the program. $100.
Executive director Bertina Dew says, "The excellence of the instruction - our teachers, curriculum, and program - are often considered as challenging and sometimes more challenging and productive as renowned national programs offered through major ballet companies. We bring in five to 10 guest teachers for each intensive, rather than one or two." When Kingsport Ballet began offering intensives in the mid-1980s, Dew explains, "There were options for taking five weeks of instruction during the summer. We have adapted the timing to accommodate those dancers who may want to go away for summer study."
