Ballet Arts

Summer Programs 2011

June 10 enrollment deadline

During the normal Fall to Summer season Ballet Arts students in core ballet programs complete many hours of dance training targeted at their level. In the summer of 2010, Ballet Arts offered our first Summer Focus Programs. These Summer Focus Programs featured traditional ballet technique classes along with special Focus Classes that gave students the opportunity to concentrate on one or two techniques to develop their skills. In the 2011 Summer Focus Programs we are adding a Variation class at both the Advanced and Intermediate levels.

In all classical ballets there are solo opportunities for dancers other than the lead dancers. In Sleeping Beauty the lead roles are Princess Aurora and Prince Florimund. However, Sleeping Beauty has many other solo variations for talented dancers to display their artistry. There are solos for the Lilac Fairy, the Gem Fairies and the Virtue Fairies as well as expressive roles for the fairy tale characters. In addition to excellent technique each of these variations require a theme or emotion that the dancer must portray to the audience. During the Variations class in the Focus Programs the students will not only learn the steps that comprise the dance but also focus on the expression necessary to make the character come alive for the audience. The Variation classes will challenge the dancers to develop style and technique that comes from dancing not only with the body but with the mind and heart as well.

In the Focus Programs for this summer, the Variations classes will be accompanied by technique classes that support the Variations classes. These classes are offered as a 9 week package. The Summer Focus-Programs will start June 13th and go through Aug. 13th - a 9 week program. The Advanced Focus-Program is value priced at $420, and the Intermediate Focus-Programs are $400 with the beginning pointe class and $340 without the pointe class. All classes in the Focus Program are 1 1/2 hour long except for the stretch class which is 1 hour in length.

As a supplement to the Focus program, we strongly recommend adding the 1 hour character class. When selecting roles for dancers in CCBC productions, good ballet technique is essential but presenting a believable character dance requires more than just wearing an ethnic costume. Character dance is an integral part of most classical ballets that CCBC presents. In character class students learn to incorporate the technique and style of ethnic dances into solo variations in classical ballets. Presenting a successful character dance requires a dancer to absorb the nuances and expression of the ethnic culture represented by the dance. The addition of character dance to traditional ballet training in technique not only gives the dancer a more diverse repertoire of dance movement but also teaches stage presence and expression as well.

For a schedule of summer classes, please refer to the downloadable documents in the right hand sidebar.