Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday in the Carnahan-Jackson Dance Studio, Chautauquans line the barres for ballet courses offered through Special Studies. Led by School of Dance faculty, courses range from beginner to advanced levels — so there’s something for all interests and abilities.
In Week One, it was the University of Hartford’s Sarkis Kaltakhtchian and Isabella LaFreniere, soloist with New York City Ballet, leading the pliés and ports de bras for their students; guest faculty for Chautauqua Dance since 2008, Kaltakhtchian has an extensive portfolio — most recently as artistic and education director at The Hartt School. This week, classes are led by Carla Körbes, professor of music in ballet at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music and a former dancer with New York City Ballet and Pacific Northwest Ballet.