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Photos: Rosalie O'Connor
Copyright 2011 Ballet Theatre Foundation, Inc.
All rights reserved.
Summer Intensive

The ABT Summer Intensive Program

“The mission of ABT’s Summer Intensive is to cultivate a universal understanding of the art form at its highest level, emphasizing not only the importance of high quality and brilliant technique, but also dance as an expressive vehicle to create art.”
-Kevin McKenzie, Artistic Director

 

American Ballet Theatre’s Summer Intensive has earned a reputation for being the most thorough and rewarding dance experience a student can have during the summer. Under the supervision of ABT’s Artistic Director Kevin McKenzie and Artistic Director of Summer Intensives Melissa Allen Bowman, the program offers top quality teachers and master guest teachers that are dedicated to the learning process and growth of each individual student. Class size will be limited. Students participate in a minimum of four classes per day with ABT’s renowned faculty, and enjoy a comprehensive curriculum that includes exposure to ABT artists, history and repertory. The ABT Summer Intensive focuses on developing well-rounded dancers by exposure to a wide variety of disciplines with an emphasis on classical ballet technique and key elements of ABT’s National Training Curriculum.

Curriculum:
The curriculum of the 2012 ABT Summer Intensive will include both high level technique classes and lecture courses on subjects critical to the development of a complete dancer. ABT’s teaching philosophy is to create dancers that are versatile rather than stylized, who are thus prepared to work with any company. Classes for the 2012 Summer Intensive may include:

Ballet Technique
Pointe
Partnering
Variations
Men’s Technique
Men’s Variations
Modern
Nutrition
Acting for Dancers/Mime
Musical Theater
Jazz
Hip-Hop
Character
Dance History
Yoga
Meet the Artist
Music
Injury Prevention
Pilates


Though some lecture offerings may vary by site, the daily structure and curriculum of all Summer Intensive programs is identical. Students take four classes a day, including technique and pointe or pas de deux every day followed by classes listed above. In addition, dancers have rehearsals or choreography sessions on occasional evenings. Dancers in each Summer Intensive have the opportunity to perform in a final performance showcasing selections from ABT’s repertoire and new choreography created during the program.

Faculty:
ABT’s 2012 Summer Intensive students will be exposed to a level of training unmatched by any other summer program. The faculty will consist of ABT artistic staff, ABT alumni, guest teachers and accomplished pianists. Summer Intensive instructors include:

KEVIN McKENZIE, ABT Artistic Director
MELISSA ALLEN BOWMAN, Artistic Director of Summer Intensives and
Assistant Principal of the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School at ABT
FRANCO DE VITA, Principal of the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School at ABT

Faculty will be announced shortly, please check back for details. Thank you.

Staff:
Heidi Gunter, Director of Summer Intensives
Elizabeth Aymong, Summer Intensive Coordinator
Naomi Gewanter, Summer Intensive Associate
 
Scholarships:
American Ballet Theatre has a limited number of full and partial scholarships to the 2012 Summer Intensive. All students are considered for merit-based scholarships. There is no application process. American Ballet Theatre will notify scholarship recipients at the time of acceptance.

ABT National Training Program:
The goal of the National Training Program is to encourage young dancers to continue their dance training and complete their academic education in their home communities. To accomplish this goal, ABT awards scholarships to a small number of promising young dancers, ages 12-18, after participating in the ABT Summer Intensive. The scholarships cover a portion of their training fees, as well as Summer Intensive tuition. The dancers are required to attend the Summer Intensive program again the following summer. Students who fulfill the requirements may receive renewed scholarships. (Please note that there is no application process for this program. National Training Scholars are chosen each year from the student body of the ABT Summer Intensives, and are notified by mail after the Nominating Committee meets in the Fall.)
 
2011-2012 National Training Scholars:
We are pleased to announce the recipients of this year’s National Training Program Scholarships. They are:

Hanna Bass^, Lauren Bonfiglio*, Claire Boren^^, Nick Bullard*, Micaela Camacho-Tenreiro^,
Adelaide Clauss, Katie Cheng, Michaela DePrince, Theodore Elliman, Camila Ferrera,
Mariana Gatto-Duran, Breanne Granlund, Emily Hayes, Aaron Hilton^, Yuzu Hikosaka,
Carter Holder, Catherine Hurlin, Abbey Jensen, Mikaela Kelly, Kayleigh Likens, Tyler Maloney, Hannah Marshall, Anna Malia Miller, David Preciado, Allison Robles,
Giacomo Rovero, Isabella Schlieker, Emily Slawski, Ellie Underwood**.
Congratulations to them all!

^ Bender Foundation Scholar
* Oceanic Heritage Foundation Scholar
^^ Isabelle G. Goldberg
** Scünci Scholar

Alumni:
ABT Summer Intensive Alumni have gone on to have successful careers with American Ballet Theatre and ABT’s Studio Company.

David Hallberg (Principal), Kristi Boone (Soloist), Isabella Boylston (Soloist), Misty Copeland (Soloist), Jared Matthews (Soloist), Simone Messmer (Soloist), Craig Salstein (Soloist), Julio Bragado-Young (Corps De Ballet), Skylar Brandt (Corps De Ballet), Nicola Curry (Corps De Ballet), Brittany DeGrofft (Corps de Ballet), Roddy Doble (Corps De Ballet), Tobin Eason (Corps De Ballet), Joseph Gorak (Corps De Ballet), April Giangeruso (Corps De Ballet), Nicole Graniero (Corps De Ballet), Melanie Hamrick (Corps De Ballet), Blaine Hoven (Corps De Ballet), Isadora Loyola (Corps De Ballet), Patrick Ogle (Corps De Ballet), Lauren Post (Corps De Ballet), Calvin Royal III (Corps de Ballet), Arron Scott (Corps De Ballet), Eric Tamm (Corps De Ballet), Devon Teuscher (Corps De Ballet), Mary Mills Thomas (Corps De Ballet), Katherine Williams (Corps De Ballet), Roman Zhurbin (Corps De Ballet), Sterling Baca (Apprentice), Cassandra Trenary (Apprentice), Amanda De Oliveira (Studio Company), Beau Fisher (Studio Company), Gabrielle Johnson (Studio Company), Lindsay Karchin (Studio Company), Shu Kinouchi (Studio Company), Alex Kramer (Studio Company), Carolyn Lippert (Studio Company), Brianna Steinfeldt (Studio Company), Gabe Stone Shayer (Studio Company), Paulina Waski (Studio Company), Lily Wisdom (Studio Company).


Official Hair Accessory of the Summer Intensive