Summer Study
It's a challenge, enrolling in a summer intensive, going to another city, another school, finding new friends. But it's all rewarding, especially since summer study programs include structured weeks of classes and rehearsals with a performance at the end of the program. Three students, who looked forward to the summer study at the Joffrey Ballet School in New York City, June 19 to August 12, 2006 found more than a few rewards, including the many free dance performances by professional companies on the summer stages of the city.
Sarah Mcgee, 18, from Alberta, Canada, attended the Midwest Joffrey Workshops for the past three years: "But this is my first year in New York. I chose to stay here for 4-weeks of the 8-week intensive. Everyone is so welcoming. The technique taught in the classes seem to be Cecchetti and Russian, but more of the emphasis is on developing performance skills and showing a love for dance. The teachers are Francesca Corkle (former principal in the original Joffrey Ballet), who teaches technique and also coaches us in our roles, John Magnus (director of the School) Winthrop Cory and Pat Brown. The program includes technique, pointe, pas de deux, jazz, Pilates mat work and modern dance. So it's a full program. What decided me on this program was when I saw, at the Midwest workshop, the pas de deux from 'Light Rain' (Arpino). It was so gorgeous. I also saw the film 'The Company' about the Joffrey Ballet in Chicago. All that convinced me to come to the NY intensive. Now, I'm rehearsing the pas de deux from 'Midsummer Night's Dream' (Winthrop Cory) and looking forward to performing that at the end of the summer program."
Cecile Girard, 18, from France, studied at the prestigious Rosella Hightower School, a stone's throw away from Monte Carlo. "I heard about the Joffrey session at one of their Workshops in Chicago. To me, New York is so big and there are so many people, I could not imagine it until I got here. Fortunately, I have relatives in New Jersey, so I don't feel alone. My ambition is to become an apprentice to a company or win a scholarship to one of the schools in America. I feel more prepared now to enter a competition to be able to do this."
Daniel Ryan, 20, from Milwaukee, studied privately and in school with Raphael Delgado, who is from Puerto Rico and it's Ballet San Juan. He comes from 14 generations of dancers. "The technique there," says Ryan," was a combination of the French and Cuban methods.
"Soccer was my whole life until the age of 15, before I began ballet classes. Delgado found me at the School of the Arts in Milwaukee when I was recovering from an injury and the school had me come to audition for a dance program, just because I was a guy. But I didn't go to Delgado's classes, so one day he called my home and said that I was to be in his class an 11:00 a.m. that day. But I was stubborn and purposely late. I didn't want to be there, but after that, I never missed a class.
"I met Mr. Magnus at Regional Dance America Festival in Houston, Texas, where he was teaching master classes. He suggested I come to the summer program. So I went to the Midwest program for 4 weeks and flew to New York for the rest of the program. My parents are thrilled that I'm here. I've learned so much about artistry from Ms. Corkle, especially how to project a role."
John Magnus, the last teacher Robert Joffrey chose to teach in his school before his death, is artistic director of the school in New York: "We have over 100 students in the summer program this year," he says. "They will all appear in the final performance. I could not be more delighted with their progress. Our goal has been to teach the students how to channel energy, energy, energy! They know that they can't get away without raising the bar each day. It's a good fight, although they don't know what the fight is about as yet. We build their confidence and watch them grow. There's a purpose to each day. It means we work together, teachers and students."
Joffrey workshops across the country occur in January and February. Contact: Joffreyballetschool.com.