YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio -- Six dancers from Ballet Western Reserve auditioned for and have been selected to train with top ballet companies and schools around the country in their summer programs. They’ll spend up to four weeks training with top instructors while staying in dorms and other housing in various cities.
Every January and February the country’s most prestigious ballet programs travel to cities around the nation to audition dancers and select those with potential to study in their summer intensive programs, said Virginia Hartman, artistic director. The dancers traveled to Pittsburgh, Buffalo and Cincinnati for auditions.
“These are top schools in the nation and often these intensives are the first step moving toward a professional career in the highly competitive ballet world,” Hartman noted.
Hartman, who was a professional dancer in the Atlanta Ballet and Richmond Ballet, guided the students through the audition process and will attend American Ballet Theater’s professional program this summer in New York City to continue her certification process to teach the ABT curriculum at Ballet Western Reserve, which is the only ballet school in the region to have such a designation.
Dancers selected for the summer programs include:
Senior company member Caroline Ciferno of Howland, 16, will attend American Ballet Theater’s North Carolina intensive. She was also accepted to the Colorado Ballet program.
Senior company member Maeli Foley of Canfield, 16, will attend the Cincinnati Ballet program. She was also accepted into Point Park University’s summer program.
Lily Gelfand, senior company member from Boardman, 16, was accepted into three programs, including the Mark Morris Dance Group. She plans to attend the Hubbard Street Dance Company and the Joffrey Jazz and Contemporary program in New York City.
Nicole Noakes, company member from Canfield, 14, was accepted to and will be attending the Atlanta Ballet program as well as The Rock School in Philadelphia. She was also accepted to Pittsburgh Ballet Theater.
Charli Littleton, junior company member from North Lima, 14, was accepted into American Ballet Theater’s Texas program, Pittsburgh Ballet Theater and BalletMet in Columbus. She’ll be attending BalletMet’s program.
Daria Sansoterra of Canfield, 11, was accepted into Interlochen’s program for ballet and violin.
Ballet Western Reserve will hold its own summer intensive program for intermediate and advanced students June 11-21. Among the master guest instructors are former Atlanta Ballet dancer Michael French and Broadway performer John Scacchetti.
For more information, visit the Ballet Western Reserve website. To register for the summer intensive and fall classes call 330 744 1934.
Published by The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.