New & Notable for Fall 2011
New Faculty
We are very excited to welcome Erika Lambe-Holland to our staff. A native of Brookline, Massachusetts, Ms. Lambe-Holland is the granddaughter of famed tenor Roland Hayes, who opened the doors of Classical Music to African Americans. Ms. Lambe-Holland trained at the Boston Ballet School, the School of American Ballet and the Dance Theatre of Harlem school. She performed with Boston Ballet II before joining Dance Theatre of Harlem, where she danced an extensive repertory for three years. As a member of Miami City Ballet, she was a featured dancer in the 1999 PBS production, “I’ll Make Me a World” , which chronicled the careers of African Americans in the Arts.
Ms. Lambe-Holland joined Boston Ballet as a member of the corps de ballet in 1993. Besides performing an extensive repertory with Boston Ballet, in 2000, Ms. Lambe-Holland became the first African American Sugarplum Fairy in Boston Ballet’s production of The Nutcracker.
Ms. Lambe-Holland has taught and choreographed pieces for the Boston Arts Academy, Boston Ballet Center for Dance Education, Charles River Ballet Academy and Walnut Hill School. She has served on staff at Boston Arts Academy, Boston Ballet School and the Walnut Hill School for the Performing Arts and Charles River Ballet Academy.
Ms. Lambe-Holland will be teaching Pre-Ballet, Levels 2, 4, 6, and 9/10, Variations, Ballet Conditioning and Supplementary Pointe.
Schedule Additions & Changes
Please note some exciting additions and changes to our schedule:
- We have added early afternoon classes on Thursday, to accommodate Acton children on their early release days. These include Pre-Ballet, Level 1, Level 2 and Ballet Conditioning.
- We now have seven sections of Pre-Ballet, three sections of First Steps (for four year olds) and two sections of Creative Dance (for three year olds), including one on Sunday morning.
- We have added an additional Level 4, with one of its two required classes on Saturday and the other in early evening on Tuesday, to help working parents.
- Ballet Conditioning has moved from Saturday to Thursday from 3:00-4:15, taught by Ms. Botti. Ms. Lambe-Holldan will teach the other section on Mondays 4:15-5:30.
- Supplementary Pointe, now taught by Ms. Lambe-Holland, has moved to Tuesdays 5:30-7:00.
- Ms. Pons will teach Choreography on Wednesdays 7:00-8:15 to students in Level 4 and up.
- Level 8 now has an added mandatory component of Ballet History. This half hour class meets every Tuesday evening before their technique classes.
- Beginning Ballet For Teens and Adults has now on Sunday mornings from 10:30-12:00 noon. This class is appropriate for first-timers as well as students with minimal experience and also those returning to ballet after time away. This class will operate as part of the syllabus program, not as a drop in class. Regular tuition rates apply.
- Variations on Saturday will be taught by Ms. Lambe-Holland from 12:45 to 2:30 p.m.
Supplementary Classes
Our newest addition to the roster of supplementary classes is French for Ballet Dancers. Have you ever wondered what the French terms for ballet really mean, or how to pronounce ronds de jambe à terre correctly? Our own native speaker of French, Alexandra Botti, who is also a joint citizen of France and the U.S., will introduce students to the international common language of ballet, with emphasis on pronunciation and ballet vocabulary, in a relaxed, informal setting. For students in Levels 3 and up.
Taught by Denise Pons, the Choreography class offers students an opportunity to learn basic principles or sharpen their skills for creating dances, including improvisation, casting and managing dancers, selecting music, and organizing and leading rehearsals. Using dancers drawn from variations classes and others in the choreography class, students will create a dance for presentation at our studio performance in January. Students in Levels 4-10, Intermediate & Advanced Ballet are eligible to enroll..
Supplementary Pointe Teacher Erika Lambe-Holland’s vigorous class is aimed at students in Level 5 and up who have studied at least one term of pointe. Working throughout in pointe shoes, students study exercises to improve strength and alignment, and learn the specific ballet vocabulary for dancing en pointe. Each student receives instruction appropriate for her current level of technique.
Ballet Conditioning is specifically designed to improve student’s flexibility and extensions, strengthen abdominal and back muscles and to build stamina as required for ballet technique. Each student receives individual instruction appropriate to her/his age and experience. There are two sections, taught by Erika Lambe-Holland on Monday and one by Alexandra Botti on Thursday. For Levels 4 and up.
Jazz 1/2 offered for Levels 4+, is taught by Meghan Meehan, an accomplished and charismatic teacher and performer of the genre. Contemporary jazz styles will be introduced, with work on isolation, suspension, contractions, and other techniques in a high energy, musical setting. Jazz encourages individual interpretations of movement, which can be a refreshing change of pace for ballet dancers.
As an important part of a ballet dancer’s training, Modern Dance classes introduce and refine the grounded technique of America’ indigenous dance form. Taught by Meghan Meehan, classes begin with a thorough warm-up and proceed with combinations in center and across the floor. Modern dance is an excellent way to improve a ballet dancer’s performance presence. Modern 1/2 is open to students in Levels 3-6. Modern 3 is by invitation or audition.
Variations classes give students the opportunity to study the great classical solo dances in depth. These are wonderful classes for improving performance presence and obtaining a deeper understanding of ballet. The Saturday class is open to all students in Levels 4 and above. The Friday class is for students Level 7 and above or Advanced Ballet. Variations 9/10 on Monday is required for students in Levels 9 and 10.
Ballet History offers the student of ballet an opportunity to learn about the genre’s rich and diverse history. Through presentations, videos and discussion the class will discuss the evolution and rise of the art form, its choreographic and performing leaders, trends and styles, and its current state. Students in Level 8 (Fall 2011) are required to attend this half hour weekly class, taught by Ms. Campbell, who holds an MFA Degree in Dance from the Royal Academy of Dance in London.