***Experience The Education***
Welcome to your free, MONTHLY, online connection to Ballet Class!
KAT'S Class Updates for the month of June:
The Ailey Extension - Real Classes for Real People. In the words of Artistic Director, Judith Jamison, "If you can get yourself in the door, you can take a class!"
The Ailey Studios Location:
at the Joan Weil Center for Dance
405 W. 55th Street (at 9th Avenue)
New York, NY 10019
212-405-9500
ONGOING CLASS UPDATES
Our regular class schedule: check here.
*Pointe Variations:
The Pointe/Variations Course with Kat Wildish serves students at all levels of pointe technique, from beginners in their first time up in the shoes to seasoned professionals maintaining fundamentals. Starting with an intense barre warm-up series to strengthen deep muscles in the legs and feet, the class progresses slowly to center work and variation practice. A different piece of classical repertoire will be taught and coached over the 4-week period. Alignment and correct foot placement in the shoes are emphasized for a solid, healthy approach to pointe work. Kat's signature hands-on teaching style ensures all students receive personal attention to reach their pointe goals
Yes you can participate in soft shoes and learn the variation along with foot exercises to develop a better point. Please remember you must have your pointe shoes prepared properly with ribbons attached, before class. Any classes you have remaining on your Pointe class card can be transferred at the value remaining to this course. Also note: Any pointe classes you may miss during the course can be made up during that same month/course.
*Pointe Variations JUNE 09 Session 2: Don Quixote Kitri Variation
(Fans will be available to you during class for practice or you may bring your own)
*Mondays @ Noon - 1:15pm: June 1,8,15 & 22. This workshop is subject to a minimum of 12 participants.(Please call 212 405-9107 sign-in desk after 10am to confirm)
*Wednesdays @ Noon - 1:15pm: June 3,10,17, & 24. This workshop is subject to a minimum of 12 participants.
*Saturdays @ 6:15 – 7:30pm: June 6, 13, 20 & 27. This workshop is subject to a minimum of 12 participants.
SIGN UP HERE.
Summer 2009 Highlights
*July 4th Saturday we have a 3pm class only!
*July 11 & 12: Ballet Fitness and Fun: This 1½ day workshop, led by Ailey Extension instructor Kat Wildish and a Fitness Guru to be announced, is a compact introduction to all the happy, healthy benefits of dance and fitness combined! Learn the options for and advantages of cross-training, and sample exercises from ballet, yoga, pilates, and more. With healthy snacks provided and lectures with the industry's top fitness experts, the weekend is sure to whip you into intense dancer shape & form!
*July 19-26: Kat will be guest teaching in Tampa, FL (sub TBA)
*July 27-31: Kat will be guest teaching in Chester, NJ (sub TBA)
*Early August: three days upstate guest teaching Oneonta, NY
*August 3 begins Pointe Variations Session 3: Monday, Wednesdays & Saturdays provided the minimum of 12 participants register.
*August 10 our New York Adult Summer Performance Workshop will begin. Rehearsals will be the entire month, 3 days per week (M & W 9:15 -10:30PM; Sat 2-4pm) culminating in three performances August 29th @ 7PM, August 30th @ 4 & 7 PM in our state of the art Ailey Citigroup Theater.
Ladies will be attempting the "Kingdom of the Shades" scene from the classical ballet "La Bayadere," and also a male variation will be set as a group for our Princes. There will be an additional costume fee (keeping it minimal) for the arm drapery, tutus, and gentlemen attire.
*Performing in New York FULL Intensive
A 3-week ballet intensive culminating in a professionally produced showcase at the Ailey Citigroup Theater in NYC. Held in midtown Manhattan, the workshop will include 30+ classes with acclaimed ballet teacher Kat Wildish at the Alvin Ailey Extension Program. With just 15 hours of rehearsal time outside of technique class, participants will prepare for a performance of classical repertoire in a real New York theater. Learn, refine, practice, and perform in the month of August! The flexible schedule includes morning and/or night classes, so visitors can enjoy New York in the summer or continue their daily duties. RECESSION SPECIAL: it's the most affordable intensive in the city this year!
***Kat Wildish Summer Performing Workshop - w/classes
Includes classes, rehearsals and performance participation. Register here.
***Kat Wildish Summer Performing REHEARSAL Workshop - ONLY!
For rehearsals and performance participation. Does not include the price of classes. Register here.
***Showcase Participant Fee
For those dancers participating in other pieces by guest choreographers (ie. Bev, Josh, Robin, etc). Choreographers interested in showcasing their work should email ycampbell@alvinailey.org to be considered. If you are participating in the performances only (no rehearsals) - for students not in a workshop course, performing with outside choreographers – Register here.
Now remember if you are not sure you want to participate, come to a few rehearsals and see. It's a lot of work & dedication for all involved preparing for these productions and learning your part. Yuka Kawazu is our ballet mistress and assistant rehearsal director again for both of these performance workshops. She is available to help you personally during each rehearsal.
*September: Kat plans to escape a couple of weeks on vacation to either exotic Egypt or her favorite Italy (TBA)
*September will begin our last production of this year and run through November 22. 12 weeks of rehearsal, one night per week 9:15-10:30PM. We will have three performances: 11/21 @ 7pm & 11/22 @ 4 & 7pm in our state of the art Ailey Citigroup Theater.
A Word (or more) from Kat
*Yes, I'm back teaching today, Monday June 1, 2009, after a very short yet refreshing trip to Florida for my Mother-in-law's 90th birthday party. We should all be so lovely, fortunate, and so healthy to live as long and prosperous (yes I did see the new Star Trek movie and really enjoyed it).
*Let's get to work. It's important to stay hydrated (we need water to keep our tissues hydrated and help keep our energy up), especially after dance class. If good old-fashioned water seems a little boring, here are refreshing suggestions: *Coconut water, my new favorite summer drink thanks to Nicco's suggestion. It's so low in calories yet yummy and full of potassium like a sports drink. *Seltzer water with just a splash of juice. Orange, grapefruit, cranberry are good choices! *Water with slices of cucumber, lemon or orange. Drink Water. Drink, stay hydrated please!
*I'm doing a weekend workshop here at the Ailey Extension with Fitness Guru Ben Byrd in July. Check it out. Should be an awesome weekend. August starts our end of the summer performance rehearsals. Gear up now, cause we'll be working nonstop thru the month of August.
Classroom Confidential: TMI and Honorable Mentions
June 2009 is Birthday month for the following dancers/classmates: Sharon Sneed - Jun 1, Audrey (Kat's neighbor) - Jun 2, Erik Novoa - Jun 3, Mark Alexander Radin' - Jun 3, Diane King (BDC) - Jun 8, Melanie Cortier - Jun 9, Anne Duff - Jun 9, Marg Atkinson- Jun 10, Judy Burruss's - Jun 10, AC Haley - Jun 11,Rose craven - Jun 12, Valérie Colletta - Jun 13, Andrea Alicia Hodgson - Jun 13, Steven Koes - Jun 13, Shawn Kelly Garnier - Jun 14, Kim Sikorski - Jun 16, DECLAN Mc - Jun 16, Khiara M. Bridges - Jun 18, Dr T Novella - Jun 20, Patricia Power - Jun 20, Amy Garner Roberts - Jun 20, IRENE KENT - Jun 21, Laura Burton - Jun 22, Melissa Olds Levitan - Jun 24, ROBERT WEBER - Jun 24, Ron Nahass - Jun 26, Dawn Hillen - Jun 26, Kellie YOSHIDA/Pavlas - Jun 27, Erika Roland - Jun 30 and Thomas Victor Jun - 30. Happy Birthday tutu each of you and big hugs!...
...support Ben Ryan in the opening number, Laura Keller, and John Raterman (to name a few of your classmates) in their efforts for Broadway Bares…Irini Res has a new website designed by Taylor, our webmaster. She is on YouTube here and also has Thurs 5-7pm, Sun @ 5pm & NEW Saturday Morning Ashtanga yoga outdoor class Saturday morning June 6th @ 11AM here with us at the Ailey Extension!...Tony the CIRCULAR POWER master trainer is profiled in Pointe Magazine. Check it out here. Bee is also one of the regular CIRCULAR POWER--training dancers amongst your classmates and teacher. Check out the $40 session day coming up in June. Check Klassifieds below!...Robyn Reid, Deb Legano and Taylor G performed with American Ballet Theatre in "Le Corsair" just last week...Jessica Kantor performed last month on pointe but she's not sharing details...Jen D has started Hedda rehearsals in the theatre, and has performance dates starting June 13…Olga B is on youtube…Valérie Colletta is performing with a modern company this month in Paris, France!...Pam placed in the World Irish Dance Championship and is dancing with the Ajkun Ballet along with Taylor Man Kindred this summer...Liz and the Princeton University Ballet had their first full-length performance in May and all went well!..Kat & Vlad should be mentioned in the upcoming July issue of Dance Teacher Magazine…First Lady Michelle Obama attended American Ballet Theatre's Opening Night Gala… Where in the world is Katherine B. Weissman? France till August!...Dawn Hillen invites you to visit www.ballerina.com and if you have any suggestions as to what you might like to see there, she'd love to hear them!...Ginger's LinK the movement dance company and also Tracie Synthesis Dance Project performing In June. See below performance corner...
*Quote of the month: "We should consider every day lost in which we did not dance at least once." -Nietzsche
*Andros on FaceBook: Yes Mr. A is finally on Facebook where you can ask him directly or check out his website, Andros on Ballet.
Taylor's Tales
A column by our webmaster, Taylor.
Are We Humans? Or Just Dancers?
(This is an excerpt from a longer response written last month. Read the full article here.
Are we human? Or are we just dancers?
This was asked on Facebook recently, only to receive 15 comments romanticizing the idea that dancers are somehow superior to average people: we are "a higher form of humans," "superheros of the body and spirit," "maybe 'hancers' or 'dumans.'"
No. Dancers are very, very human...
Being "just a dancer" would mean a world of perfection. Without humanity there would be no jealousy. No dancers' arched feet would be enviable, no ballerina too skinny, no attacks to our self-esteem. What self could we know?
Immortality would grace Balanchine, Robbins, Nijinsky, Nureyev, Diaghilev, and so many more. They would not pass away, involuntarily stealing their knowledge from nourishing young starving artists. Your heart would not shudder when Juliet, Odette, or Giselle dies.
If I were not human, my bun would not frizz after sweating at barre. And forget about our animalistic senses. I wouldn't need eye contact, acknowledgement. Who wants to be able to see that spotlight anyway? I wouldn't smell those surprise yellow roses at the stage door, or the musk of an old tutu. The dry thirst of grande allegro would quench itself. That blister, the ingrained leotard strap, the stabbing bobby pin, the raw slice of a drawstring, would go unfelt. And music, unheard?
We would never be short of breath. We'd have none.
Time off would not be hard to stomach. Digesting artistic meaning would be obsolete. A weightless wonder, we could fly with no impacting burden to our bones. But no pleasure to be felt with your partner's touch. You couldn't bear a little dancer of your own. You wouldn't want to. You'd dance alone. We would sense nothing of community with those moving around us. No corps. Who needs chemistry in a pas de deux? We would feel no loyalty, trust, appreciation, respect, love for our leaders, our teachers. No admiration. No motivation.
Comfort wouldn't be found in the dailyness of class, only robotic repetition. We would be obedient, never questioning how or why. Never innovating. I wouldn't tire. Peace should be constant.
The human condition plagues us. Dance is not an antidote. It's a symptom, our way of coping, our expression of the soul that is the essence of our individual humanness. Why would one classify us as otherworldly, or different? Is it not enough to be human?
The same gifts and hazards that identify a human life, breed a dancer. If I were not human, my heart would not ache every time the curtain tears closed before my wet eyelashes. I would not love what I do.
Kat's Monthly Mailbag
*Hi Kat, Greetings from Rome where I am taking classes at the IALS dance school at the Via Fracassini. It is a great place to take drop in classes. I have been taking modern classes with Roberto Salaorni and ballet classes with Andrej Fedotov. So for any of you globe trotters…when in Rome, head for the IALS! I also wanted to let you know my news...my second album "Transito" is going to be released this July and is going to be distributed by EMI AND...I will be at NYU law school for a whole year as a research fellow...which ALSO means that I get to take classes with you at Ailey! If any of your students have a room to rent for the year, please let me know. For now, I just can't wait...it's a dream come true! look forward to your classes! ciao, Miriam
*Miriam, congratzzzzzz Great news!! Please contact Whitney he'll help you find the right place in NYC. Mobile: 917-804-0134. My best wishes, Kat
*Hi Kat, I LOVE your newsletter. I am so excited to hear you are having your more mature students perform in your showcase. How much fun is that. How can I become part of the fun? How often do I need to come to your class, and is it more in the morning classes or the evening classes? I live on Long Island and I am dying out here. Performing excerpts and variations is just what my spirit needs right now. Beatrice.
*Dear Bea, You can always come in and learn the variation this month - see above (you can learn it in soft slippers) And of course sign up to join our Aug workshop. We are learning the "Shades" to perform at the end of Aug. (also see above). Hope tutu see you soon, K.
Monthly Tips: Stretching, Pointe, Health, & More
*Stretch-o-da-Month: June 2009: To be announced Monday!
*Pointe Tips of the Month:
*Yoga toes: use them to help maintain a balance of strength & stretch in the toes and metatarsal areas for pointe work. Official site here.
*Health Tips of the Month:
*For the month of June, Roy Mgr @ the Vitamin Shoppe @ 55th and 8th avenue will be offering all of Kat's Tri-state dancers/readers a 20% discount for the month of June 2009. Be sure to mention KAT's newsletter/class or The Alvin Ailey Extention.
*Nutritional yeast. At its core, a favorite condiment is great for your health since it packs necessary B-vitamins and satisfies your salt-tooth without too much sodium. Its cheesy, nutty flavor tastes great in soups and stir-fry dishes, and on salads, garlic bread, and yep, popcorn.
*Harkness Center for Dance Injuries is offering FREE Injury Prevention Assessments. Call for an appointment 212 598-6022
*The Dancers Resource, providing emotional, educational and emergency financial support to professional dancers facing health problems or injuries. For additional information directly contact The Dancers Resource call The Actors Fund 212 221-7300 ext 119 or intakeny@actorsfund.org
*Cramp control methods: Exercise - it improves blood and oxygen circulation, including through the pelvis, and releases feel-good endorphins. Get a Massage - massage therapists can target your cramps to ease the tension. Avoid Caffeine - it constricts blood vessels and increases tension. Eat Less Dairy and Meat - antibiotics we add to certain foods may make cramps worse. Spice with Cayenne - cayenne pepper also improves blood circulation. Drink water, like all the time!
And Finally...
Re've'rence:
*It is with great sadness that we announce the tragic death, on 8 May 2009, of outstanding ballerina and coach, People's Artist of the USSR Ninella Alexandrovna Kurgapkina. We have lost one of the 20th century's greatest ballerinas, who devoted over fifty years to art. Ninel Kurgapkina was born in Leningrad in 1929. Kurgapkina was one of the last pupils of Agrippina Vaganova. She graduated and joined the Kirov Ballet in 1947 was the Kirov Ballet's leading soubrette ballerina of the 1950s and 1960s and a dazzling charmer who was the first partner of both Rudolf Nureyev and Mikhail Baryshnikov. She was appointed a Director of the Vaganova School in 1972. Her activities as a teacher and coach were unbelievably focused and productive. Her contribution to the preservation and development of the best traditions of Russian ballet was truly inestimable. RIP
*Sri Krishna Pattabhi Jois: 1915- May 18, 2009. Guruji passed away at 2:30pm (Indian Standard Time). "If we practice the science of yoga, which is useful to the entire human community and which yields happiness both here and hereafter- if we practice it without fail, we will then attain physical, mental and spiritual happiness, and our minds will flood towards the Self." You need not be an Ashtangi to recognize the gravity of K. Pattabhi Jois's contribution to the development and proliferation of yoga as we know it today. Jois, the father of Ashtanga yoga, has left behind a wealth of knowledge and a legion of dedicated Ashtanga yogis. To practice yoga is to be concerned with human welfare and the alleviation of suffering. Celebrate his life and please join me in a yoga practice soon.
|
