Tag Archives: ballet

Photos: Blossoming bunheads

August 18, 2012 by The Chautauquan Daily 0 Comments

For 10 days, Daily photographer Lauren Rock followed Chautauqua School of Dance Workshop II students, ages 13-15, through their classes and final Amphitheater performance to document the commitment and discipline required of a young ballerina.

“These girls are very young, but they are serious about dance,” Rock said. “Attending the School of Dance is one small step on their journey to becoming professional ballerinas. They learn to become adaptable — those who can pick up choreography quickly and adapt to different instructors and their styles are more likely to be successful. The dancers learn discipline and the importance of taking care of themselves and working hard to maintain the best physical form possible.”

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Cooper

Cooper leads CSO in classical rep reimagined for dance

August 11, 2012 by The Chautauquan Daily 0 Comments

Three of the four selections for Saturday night’s ballet performance with the Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra are not traditional ballet repertoire, which begs the question: If not expressly written for dance, what makes a piece of music appeal to choreographers and dancers?

Guest conductor Grant Cooper collaborated with North Carolina Dance Theatre Artistic Director Jean-Pierre Bonnefoux for the concert’s program, sending him music that might stimulate movement. When Bonnefoux was considering Haydn, Cooper guessed that the minuet sections of his symphonies — traditional dance movements — would work well. But of the five movements that Bonnefoux chose from three separate Haydn symphonies, not one was a minuet.

Under Cooper’s baton, the CSO will accompany NCDT at 8:15 p.m. Saturday night in the Amphitheater.

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North Carolina Dance Theatre’s Sarah Watson and Pete Walker. Photo courtesy of Jeff Cravotta.

NCDT closes season with CSO

August 11, 2012 by The Chautauquan Daily 0 Comments

When Sasha Janes couldn’t think of a title for his new ballet, he did what any stumped choreographer would do: He left it up to a bunch of 5-year-olds.

The North Carolina Dance Theatre associate artistic director put the naming of his new work into the tiny hands of a Children’s School class of 5-year-olds. As a father of three young children, Janes was excited to involve kids in his production.

“They have great imaginations,” he said.

The quirky, comedic ballet, danced to a jubilant score by Haydn, is part of NCDT’s performance with the Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra and guest conductor Grant Cooper at 8:15 p.m. Saturday in the Amphitheater.

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Pete Walker II Photo courtesy of Peter Mueller.

NCDT’s Walker awarded Princess Grace Fellowship

August 1, 2012 by The Chautauquan Daily 1 Comment

It was in the middle of the 2011 Chautauqua Season when North Carolina Dance Theatre dancer Pete Walker got the call.

NCDT Associate Artistic Director Sasha Janes was standing on the Carnahan-Jackson Dance Studios’ porch when he heard Walker talking on the phone.

“I wasn’t eavesdropping or anything,” Janes said. “I could just tell from the look of elation on his face.”

The call was exactly what Janes thought it was. Walker had just heard from the Princess Grace Foundation — he had been selected as a 2011 dance fellow.

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