artEmotion Cultivating Artists
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| | artEmotion Photo Credit: Alexis Ziemski @lenscapekid for @KeepBalletAlive |
The World Dances last spoke with Ballet in the City founder Jessica Wallis last fall about her mission "to show that ballet can be meaningful in some way, big or small, to every person." Since then, and in partnership with Ballet West's Allison DeBona, Ballet in the City has been making grand jetés forward in delivering artistry-focused ballet education with the artEmotion Summer Intensive. This month, The World Dances caught up with Jessica and Allison about Ballet in the City, the summer program, advice for students embarking on summer intensives, and more.
Since we last spoke, what has been happening with Ballet in the City?
Ballet in the City has been hard at work! We presented a show at The Kennedy Center in March, and also presented the debut of A Ballerina's Legacy with Sonia Rodriguez, a principal with National Ballet of Canada. Sonia and I produced the show together, which was very fulfilling. Allison and I have also been planning next year's season with Ballet in the City, as we are planning on working closely with her and her fiancé Rex Tilton, and some other wonderful artists from Ballet West. Ballet in the City even has its own scholarship for dancers of color. Ballet West dancers Joshua Whitehead and Gabrielle Salvatto are its ambassadors this year. Allison is on the scholarship committee. The recipient receives a full scholarship to the artEmotion Summer Intensive.
Please tell about your summer program. What is the general mission? How long has it been going? Who are the teachers?
The artEmotion Summer Intensive is a unique summer program--not like any other program available. We focus on artistry in tandem with technique. Even our very youngest students who are 8 years old are encouraged to explore epaulement, character, and to approach and execute steps like an artist. We want to show young dancers that they need to begin cultivating what sets them apart from everyone else. We are in our second year. Last year we presented the two-week intensive in Cleveland, and now we have expanded to a 6-day program in Detroit. Returning this year are of course Allison (Ballet West first soloist) and myself (executive director of Ballet in the City), as well as Rex Tilton (Ballet West Principal), Gabriel Gaffney-Smith (dancer at Ballet Met), Inna Stabrova and Dmitriy Tuboltsev (co-directors of the Ohio Conservatory of Ballet), Erik "Cheeto" Zito (of Ballet in the City's Guys Dance Too program), and Marden Ramos (former dancer with Complexions and Ballet Nacional de Cuba). This year we welcomed Beckanne Sisk (Ballet West Principal), Katlyn Addison (Demi-Soloist with Ballet West), and Adrienne Canterna (founder of Bad Boys of Ballet). And this year, thanks to Adrienne Canterna, we have the entire cast of The Bad Boys of Ballet in residence for the full six days in Detroit!
What advice would you offer students in selecting a summer program?
Burgeoning dancers of any age have to choose a program that they are going to get the most from--not just because of the 'name' of the school. Dancers need to think about the real reason they are choosing a summer program, not just because it's a big name school, or if they ultimately want to get into the company associated with the school. The artEmotion Summer Intensive works with a lot of dancers from Ballet West, but no one should choose our program just because they want to get into that company. What are they lacking in their dancing that a particular intensive can truly help them with? If young dancers are looking to grow as individual artists and looking for teachers who will really spend time with them and challenge them, then artEmotion is the program for them. We add that special, personal touch to everything we do. Allison and I both have some exciting things coming up that we want people to stay tuned for, so they can follow us on Instagram and Twitter at @allidebona & @balletincity! Also, for more about The artEmotion Summer Intensive, follow @artemotionUSA.
By Tamara Johnson
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There's More to the Calgary Stampede than a Great Rodeo
The world-famous Calgary Stampede most of us are familiar with including the rodeo, concerts, nightly shows, midway, plus more runs this year from July 8-17. But in addition to this fabulous annual 10-day extravaganza, the Calgary Stampede and the Calgary Stampede Foundation provide astonishing year-round youth and education programs. As a community organization, the Calgary Stampede has been asking itself for more than 100 years: How do we make our community better? How can we contribute in the most meaningful way?
For more than 40 years, supporting the next generation through performing arts programs and unique educational experiences has been an important part of the way they answer those questions.
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The Young Canadians perform
Photo Credit: Photo courtesy of the Calgary Stampede Foundation
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The Calgary Stampede Foundation performing arts programs--The Young Canadians School of Performing Arts and the Calgary Stampede Showband--equip youth with the tools to grow up and become the contributors, the patrons, and leaders of the future. Accessible to all youth, these programs are geared toward getting young people to think about what it means to be a contributing citizen and how to pursue their passions with professionalism.
Read more about these valuable programs and the Calgary Stampede Foundation plans for growth.
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Contemporary Meaning in Ancient Tradition: Shivani Gupta and Mohiniattam
Shivani Gupta is a Mohiniattam dancer, photographer, philosopher, and an all-round artist. Mohiniattam is a classical dance form from southern India that originated in the 16th century. The World Dances spoke with this multifaceted artist about Indian classical dance, her perspective on dance and photography, advice for aspiring dancers, and more.
How did you become interested in Mohiniattam, and what elements of this art form do you find most challenging and most compelling?
I became interested in Mohiniattam when I saw my teacher, Mandakini Trivedi, perform. At the time I was interested in dance communities and the idea of dancing as a daily ritual. I am very attracted to her teachings as her practice is deeply connected to her philosophy and to the way she expresses the form. Staying trued to the philosophy of the form, which is mystical and transcendental, is very challenging and is what attracts me to this dance.
Since this is an art form with hundreds of years of tradition behind it, how can you (or do you) interpret it from a contemporary perspective? How and why does this form remain relevant?
The art form has been carried forward over hundreds of years through practitioners. It is being performed, taught, learned, and practiced now. Each Master does interpret the form through their practice and transformations. My Guru says, "The tradition is a database of information that is being passed on." How the dancer/artist will interpret the data is relevant.
Read more about Shivani Gupta and Mohiniattam.
By Tamara Johnson
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TheWorldDances E-Newsletter Team
Publisher: Karla Johnson
Editor: Tamara Johnson
Producer: Ester Rodriguez
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July 6, 2016
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The World Dances!
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Congratulation to the June Harlequin Floors Scholarship Winners
Harlequin Floors is honored to announce the June 2016 scholarship winners. Watch their scholarship-winning videos below, see more than 160 previous winning videos, read about the winners, and enjoy 2,200+ other impressive dance videos to entertain you, inspire you, move you, and teach you on TheWorldDances.com. Enter your video now on TheWorldDances.com for the July 2016 Harlequin Floors Scholarship contest. Harlequin Floors awards $1,000 in dance scholarships every month. Deeply entrenched in the dance world for many decades, Harlequin Floors is proud to support dancers and help make their dance dreams come true. Harlequin is dedicated to providing highest-quality, affordable, state of the art sprung floors and vinyl flooring to keep dancers and dance teachers safe, dancing longer, and at their peak performance.
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Judges' Choice
Harlequin Scholarship Winner
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| | Madeline Dalton College Audition Prescreen Tap |
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Judges' Choice
Harlequin Scholarship Winner
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| | April Henehan & Haralin Rose
In Pursuit |
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Viewers' Choice
Harlequin Scholarship Winner
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| | Haylee Wyman
Sense |
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Viewers' Choice
Harlequin Scholarship Winner
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Arts Organizations Seeking Skilled Talent
Are you a great dance teacher, a dancer, a marketing guru in the dance field, an experienced production or stage manager, a development or programming expert? You will find 80 current job listings in the arts on TheWorldDances.com. The L.A. Music Center is looking for a top-notch director of production. San Angelo Civic Ballet in Texas seeks a ballet instructor and an instructor-in-residence. Are you the right person for the General Manager/CEO position at Pilobolus? Houston Ballet has an opening for their company manager. The Joffrey Ballet is hiring a talented person to head their studio company and trainee program. Mark Morris Dance Group in Brooklyn is looking for a school director for their education department. Check out these and many more new job openings to put your best skills to work in a field you love.
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| Downtown LA - $69 for One Month of Unlimited Classes at The Bar Method
($99 Value)
$69 - 31% OFF |
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