New & Notable for Fall 2010

Makeover

As soon as school released in June we were busy with many projects. The biggest visual changes are inside and out! All three studios have been beautifully painted and freshened up, with deep thanks to Greg’s Painting and Colorworks Studio in Stow, which donated the beautiful paint. The exterior of the school has also been gloriously transformed, with our gratitude to De La Vega Painting.

We have created a gallery of photos from The Pharaoh’s Daughter, all framed and on display in the lower lobby of the school, so that we can continue to enjoy the magic of that performance. We think you will agree that photographer Mike Nyman captured many beautiful moments on stage and off!

New Faculty

We are very excited to welcome two new faculty members to our esteemed staff. Meghan Meehan is a graduate of ASB, with a B.A. in Dance from Muhlenberg College where she danced extensively. She has served on the ballet faculty of the Rock School and the ACPPA Cooperative School in Philadelphia, and continues to perform and choreograph professionally. It is our outstanding fortune that she has decided to relocate back to Massachusetts. Some of you will remember her as a beloved teacher in our summer programs. Ms. Meehan will teach several sections of Pre-Ballet, Level 1, 2, 3, and three excellent supplementary courses: The Painted Dance: A Choreography Workshop Inspired by the Visual Arts, Jazz 1/2 for Levels 3–6, and Acting for Dancers. Ms. Meehan is also an accomplished visual artist working toward her MFA.

We also welcome Alexandra Botti to our staff. Ms. Botti is currently on faculty at The Boston Ballet, where she is a sought out teacher of both children and adults. She was classically trained at Boston Ballet and Walnut Hill and received her B.A. cum laude from Smith College where she danced in the prestigious Five College Dance Program. She is a dual citizen of France and the U.S., has taken masters-level coursework at the Sorbonne, and is ﬂuent in French. Her students cite her infectious exuberance and intelligence. Ms. Botti will join our Saturday faculty, taking over for Ms. Tomashuk, who is now working full time in her doctoral program. Ms. Tomashuk remains on our faculty as a guest instructor to teach several master classes this year, as her schedule permits. Ms. Botti will also instruct in our adult program.

Schedule Additions & Changes

Please note some exciting additions 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 and Acting For Dancers (for levels 3–6).
We now have eight sections of Pre-Ballet, three sections of First Steps (for four year olds) and three sections of Creative Dance (for three year olds), including one on Sunday morning.
We have also added an additional Level 3, with one of its two required classes on Saturday and the other in early evening on Tuesday, to help working parents.
Level 5 now includes an extra half hour per week, to accommodate additional barre work, both for new students to pointe and those working toward the Pointe Readiness Evaluation.
This year Level 6 students may register in either section. This level is not pre-assigned and both sections will follow the syllabus at a similar pace.
Levels 8, 9 & 10 now have an added mandatory component of Ballet History to their syllabus. This half hour class meets every Tuesday evening before their technique classes.
Variations classes are now divided into three sections: Variations for Levels 9/10 (Monday), Variations for Levels 7/8 (Friday), and Variations for Levels 4–10 on Saturday.
Beginning Ballet For Teens and Adults has now relocated to 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.

Supplementary Classes

We have added several new supplementary classes to the schedule.

The Painted Dance: A Choreography Workshop offers a multi-disciplinary challenge for those students looking for additional performance opportunities. Students make a class visit to a local art museum at the beginning of the term, select a work of art as inspiration for a dance, and spend the semester investigating how the tenets of choreography and art can fuse to create a dance through individual and group assignments. Students will set their dances on other student performers (or themselves), then oversee rehearsals and premiere the work at a Studio 3 recital in January. Taught by Ms. Meehan.

Jazz 1/2 is offered for Levels 3–6, to be taught by Ms. Meehan, who is 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. A second section of Ballet Conditioning will be taught on Saturday by Ms. Estorino. Now students wanting a comprehensive tract on Saturday may take in sequence: Ballet Conditioning, Intermediate Ballet or Supplementary Pointe, and then the Variations class.

Acting for Dancers will meet on Thursday afternoon as an option for early release (and other) students in Levels 3–7. This class examines the acting requirements of ballet, with emphasis on stage presence, pantomime and improvisation through a serious of fun and challenging group exercises and assignments. No experience is required. This class is recommended for students who enjoy the stage, those who want to become less shy on stage, and those auditioning for The Nutcracker. Taught by Ms. Meehan.

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 levels 8, 9 & 10 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.