News from Princeton Dance & Theater Studio

Laura Whitby Houston Ballet II.
Last year I was in level 8, the highest level of Houston Ballet's Ben Stevenson Academy, and decided to stay after I was offered HBII (pretty last minute and slightly unexpectedly) at the end of last summer. The company here is really talented and beautiful, and it's such an honor to be a part of this second company. This year I've had the opportunity to perform a lot of different rep....some of HBII went on tour earlier this year to to perform Stanton Welch's Fingerprints, Welch's Blue and Raymonda. I also had the privilege of performing with the company in Balanchine's Symphony in C and the Nutcracker (snowflakes). We were all relieved to get our evaluations over with two weeks ago....each member of HBII had to perform a classical and contemporary solo on the Wortham theater stage in front of the entire company and academy artistic staff. That is definitely something I will never forget. Also, just last Thursday I got to perform the pas de deux in Les Sylphides for a breast cancer benefit performance. Now we're currently slaving away at our upcoming spring showcase, which is at the end of April. I'm lucky enough to be doing the principal in Paquita, as well as perform in Stanton Welch's A Time to Dance and Studies. To top off the year, HBII will get to perform with the company in Swan Lake and go on tour yet again. I'm so grateful for all the amazing performing opportunities I've had this year, as well as the chance to work on some amazing contemporary works. It was definitely a difficult transition moving away from home, adjusting to such a rigorous dance schedule and harsher environment....but it's been such a valuable learning experience.

The only advice I have is to not get discouraged....everyone has their doubts, their days (if not weeks), and negative thoughts. Easier said than done, you just can't let it get to you. Also, I miss everyone at PDT and hope everyone's well :) and that the spring performance goes well.

Phoebe Rose Sandford NYU Tisch School of the Arts
This program was the most awesome choice for me because I am expanding as anartist. I feel challenged physically of course, but I'm learning so much about artistry and what it means to make art. The people in my class are all such different dancers and I am learning so much about different ways of moving. I love being in the city (the center of the world) because I am surrounded by so much art and so many different ways of living. Everything around me is inspiration.

I am involved in a show that will go up in a few weeks. It is a big collaboration show. Students choreograph pieces based on texts that they choose, and they are given a team of costume designers, set designers, and composers. Everything on the stage is entirely student made! I am in a piece about dualities and exploring different ways of measuring time and experience. It's definitely different from Nutcracker rehearsal-- not better, but different. I also recently put up my own choreography. It was an eight minute piece with five girls. We had two nights ofperformances. The piece explored the idea of rising water and how that affects the body and it also explored the desperation of distance between people.

Words of wisdom? When it comes to dancing, don't just touch-- GRAB. Attack
everything and feel everything fully. Don't be tentative and don't hold on to things if you don't fully want to grab them. When you do an arabesque, do you feel fullness and happiness from that arabesque? If yes, then you are dancing correctly-- no matter what the line looks like. If you don't feel fullness from that position, CHANGE IT. I know sometimes people tell you that your life and your dancing should be two different things. But the truth is that you have one body. Everything that your body does is all connected. So think about what you are doing to your body and what your body wants to do for you. Really listen.
There's lots of different ways to make art. Try them. Really listen.

David Claps The Ailey School/Fordham University BFA in Dance program.
I came here because its a conservatory style program with a small student body and great connections, but I still have access to a large university. So I'm doing a minor in Business Administration. As far as shows go, there are often shows at school and we get to do different reps.

So far this year I've done Ailey, Taylor, Jennifer Muller, and Larry Keigwin rep. I'm also performing in pieces by Scott Rink and Jessica Lang this weekend in the Senior Show (though I'm a junior they needed guys because a lot of the senior guys are out working). Aside from this I've been delving into choreography, presented a piece in a show earlier this year, and hope to do an independent student in choreography for a semester next year and have an evening showing next spring. I'm also dancing professionally with Kazuko Hirbayashi Dance Theatre. Kazuko is a former Graham dancer who is on faculty at my school, Purchase, and Juilliard. We are working up to our next New York Season in October @ The Ailey Citigroup Theater. I've also been interning all year in development for a small dance company, and will intern again this summer probably at a bigger dance company or arts organization.

Debra Bona SUNY Purchase

I was actually unsure about my choice to go to Purchase at first, but after being here for over a semester I can see that it was a great choice. For me it was a decision between Purchase and Boston Conservatory, but what really stuck out about Purchase was their extremely impressive alumni list of which companies previous students joined. Not only was I impressed by the fact that so many of the students went on to work with great companies, but I also realized that these alumni would create great connections within the world of dance, which I have witnessed since I have been here. Another great plus about Purchase when I was deciding was their amazing facilities. The studios and theaters here are gorgeous where as a lot of the other schools I looked at seemed to barely have enough space to move.

Purchase offers a lot of performance opportunities to their students, including freshmen. We do a huge production of Nutcracker every year during the fall semester, and for the spring performance each year, outside choreographers come in and set pieces on the students of create new pieces for them. Both of these are performed in our biggest theater that seats over 1,200 people. In addition to this, students may also be in Junior and Senior Projects which are performed during the second semester. I was in Maura Ryan's senior project this year (another PDT alumni).

Words of wisdom: If there is any advice that I could give to the PDT dancers going to college or even those who are auditioning for companies, it would be to get used to the program you're in before you decide if you want to stay or not. At the beginning I wasn't very happy, mainly, I think, because I wasn't used to it it. Don't pass judgment too quickly. Once you become comfortable with the new environment you will able to appreciate it more. However, if you continue to feel like something isn't right, make a change. Not every college or dance program is right for everyone. Every dancer is different and needs different things in order to grow and be happy. Once you move on in the world of dance, you may also find that dancing isn't what you want to do for the rest of your life. It takes a lot of strength to make such a big change in your life, especially since (for many of you) dance has always been such a big part of your life. No matter what you decide to do in your life, even if it doesn't involve dance at all, make sure that you are happy. Don't be afraid to change something if it isn't right for you, but also don't be afraid of the changes in life that you will have to make, like going to college or auditioning for a company. PDT is a hard place to leave, but the next stage in your life should be just as fun...and, of course, you can always go back and visit.