Summer Intensive at UK Gives Dancers a Step Up
LEXINGTON, Ky. (June 26, 2014) — About 20 dancers gathered in the University of Kentucky dance studio June 9- 20 for the UK Summer Dance Intensive, a multidisciplinary dance program for experienced high school and college dance students and returning professionals who are serious about the dance field and eager to enhance their skills.
“Our goal is to help the dancer grow creatively through college-level contemporary modern dance, modern, jazz, ballet, body-conditioning, yoga, partnering, improvisation and choreography classes,” said Assistant Professor Susie Thiel, director of the UK Dance Program.
For its third consecutive year, the dance intensive drew such artists and educators as Ariella Brown, Stephanie Harris, Norbe Risco, Erik Rose and Thiel to teach 90-minute classes throughout the dancers’ 9 a.m.–4:30 p.m. work day.
Teaching jazz, modern and body conditioning was Ariella Brown, a native of Seattle, Washington. She received her bachelor’s degree in dance from Point Park University, and a Master of Fine Arts degree in dance with emphasis in choreography and certificate in college teaching from the University of Arizona. Brown co-founded, directed and danced in a Seattle modern company, Sapience Dance. She also has toured her choreography throughout North America and was featured in DanceSpirit magazine.
Stephanie Harris, a guest artist at UK, taught modern dance and choreography. She has been an independent choreographer, performer and teacher for over 15 years. In 2010 she founded the Contemporary Dance Collective whose work focuses on interdisciplinary collaboration that fuses movement with other artistic disciplines to produce innovative and engaging performances.
Norbe Risco, who taught ballet, has served as artistic director of the Kentucky Ballet Theatre since 2001. In 2011, he received the Al Smith Award from the Kentucky Arts Council and has performed all over the world, working with various prestigious dancers.
Teaching and conducting yoga classes was Erik Rose who is a registered yoga teacher and gymnastics coach with a passion for slow, articulate movement as well as cultivating a strong, capable body.
Thiel, who taught every dance style, pulled the intensive together. She received her bachelor’s degree from Western Michigan University and a Master of Fine Arts degree in dance from the University of Michigan. Thiel lived in New York City for eight years where she performed, taught and choreographed in a broad range of venues. In addition, her musical theatre choreography for “The Days of ’98” show ran for three seasons in Skagway, Alaska, and most recently her choreography has been seen at the American College Dance Festival Association, the Seagle Music Colony’s production of "42nd Street" and the Cincinnati Fringe Festival.
These artists helped the dancers strengthen their skills and grow, and for some dancers like Louisville, Kentucky, native, Natalie Miller, helped them explore new fields and aspects to their dance career.
Miller, daughter of Mark and Sally Miller, attends DuPont Manual High School and is in the Youth Performing Arts School (YPAS) for dance. Growing up and focusing her study primarily in ballet her whole life, Miller spent two weeks training in depth in dance styles such as improvisation and modern.
“My experience at the UK Summer Dance Intensive was so empowering. It taught me to be bold, creative and stretch my artistic edge," Miller said. "I am really excited to take what I have learned and apply it at YPAS. My teachers were so inspiring in a way that allowed all of the students to express themselves uniquely. The studio was an excellent arena to train and explore our various dance techniques. I would recommend this summer intensive to any serious dancer that wanted to enhance, develop and improve their skills. Overall I loved this intensive and will definitely be attending next year.”
The dance intensive is limited to 25 students who show the required skills of four years of consistent ballet training and at least two years of either jazz, lyrical or modern dance. The students are expected to be well versed in dance terminology and should be proficient in moving in and out of the floor as well as turns and leaps.
Partial scholarships are available and awarded based on the required video audition and application. The audition process is a video featuring dancers performing a two-four minute solo piece showcasing their technique. A resumé including dance disciplines studied, teachers and schools, the number of years studied and performance experiences is also a part of the audition process along with a 500 word essay explaining the dancer's desire for attending the dance intensive, why the dancer should be chosen, and what the dancer hopes to gain from the summer dance intensive.
What's next? Thiel hopes to bring even more classes and programs for the dancers to experience and learn from next summer, such as having a nutritionist or physical therapist advise the dancers on ways to condition their bodies.
The UK Summer Dance Intensive is part of the dance minor at UK, which is rapidly growing from six students to more than 50 dancers in the program. The minor offers dance courses to enhance critical thinking, analytical skills, cooperation and teamwork, self-expression and self-esteem, organization and problem solving and cultural literacy. The dance program in the Department of Theatre and Dance was launched in 2011 with classes available in various levels of ballet, modern, jazz, musical theatre and more.
For more information about the UK Summer Dance Intensive or the Dance Program at UK, visit http://finearts.uky.edu/theatre/programs/minor-dance.
The UK Department of Theatre and Dance at UK College of Fine Arts has played an active role in the performance scene in Central Kentucky for more than 100 years. Students in the program get hands-on training and one-on-one mentorship from a renowned professional theatre faculty. The liberal arts focus of their bachelor's degree program is coupled with ongoing career counseling to ensure a successful transition from campus to professional life.
MEDIA CONTACT: Whitney Hale, 859-257-8716; whitney.hale@uky.edu