August 2 - August 21, 2010
Each summer Walnut Hill draws some of the most dedicated and talented young dancers from around the world to our campus. Summer Youth Dance is an intensive, three-week program for serious young dancers ages ten through thirteen. Specifically designed for this age group, the program provides excellent training with renowned faculty in a safe and nurturing environment.
Summer Youth Dance Brochure (PDF)
CURRICULUM AND TRAINING
Walnut Hill Summer Youth Dance offers classes in ballet technique, pointe or pre-pointe as determined by assessment of student’s level, and other dance/theater forms, including all or some of the following: modern, jazz, character, acting, and variations class. Technique Workshops enable students to focus on particular aspects of their technique. Most classes have live accompaniment. Classes are held Monday through Saturday in Walnut Hill’s five-studio Dance Center. Other scheduled activities include dance movies and classes on topics such as music or dance history. Eleven- and twelve-year old students have additional evening classes in choreography and repertory at the Director’s discretion.
An added component is the instruction offered through our Hydroconditioning Exercise System™, a tremendous tool in providing gains in joint mobility, strength, and flexibility. This non-weight-bearing program produces an opportunity to prevent or manage injuries in a safe and dance-specific manner. Classes take place in our on-campus swimming pool.
At the conclusions of the second and third week, dancers’ families are invited to observe classes and studio demonstrations. The program culminates in a final performance onstage at Walnut Hill’s Jane Oxford Keiter Performing Arts Center.
TYPICAL WEEKDAY SCHEDULE
| 9:00–10:30 | Ballet Technique or Master Class | |
| 10:30–11:00 | Pointe/Per-Pointe or Variations | |
| 11:15–12:00 | Technique Workshops | |
| 12:00–1:00 | Lunch | |
| 1:00–2:00 | Rehearsal | |
| 2:15–3:15 | Free time | |
| 3:30–4:30 | Jazz or Modern | |
| Evening Programs (11-13 year olds) | ||
| 5:15–6:15 | Dinner | |
| 6:30–7:30 | Rehearsal and Educational Workshops | |
| 7:30–8:30 | Choreography Workshop | |
| 9:00 | Check-In/Dorm Curfew | |
The weekend schedule includes classes and rehearsals on Saturday as well as time to participate in campus events such as swimming, movies, and outdoor activities. On Sunday students may also participate in chaperoned day trips around New England and Boston.
HYDROCONDITIONING EXERCISE SYSTEM™
Hydroconditioning is a tremendous tool to provide gains in joint mobility, strength and flexibility in a non-weight-bearing environment. By manipulating the factors of buoyancy and turbulence, via changes in equipment worn by the student and the speed, position, and direction of movement, aquatic exercise can be very supportive and safe, while also being challenging and dance-specific.
GUEST FACULTY 2010
Catherine Batcheller
Ms. Batcheller is a former principal dancer with San Francisco Ballet, Stuttgart Ballet, and the Birmingham Royal Ballet and current Artistic Director of the Ballet Conservatory of South Texas.
Marisa Soltis Delgado
Ms. Delgado is a former member of Milwaukee Ballet and Fort Wayne Ballet and former Assistant Director of Ethan Stiefelís Ballet Pacifica.
Patricia Farkas-Sprague
Ms. Farkas-Sprague is a former dancer with Pick of the Crop Dance, instructor of ballet and modern dance at American Academy of Ballet, Buffalo, NY, and certified instructor of Pilates and Gyrotonics.
Kathleen Kozul
Ms. Kozul is a former member of Boston Ballet and a former principal dance with Boston Repertory Ballet. Ms. Kozul is also the Associate Director of the Dance Department at Walnut Hill School for the Arts.
Michael Owen
Mr. Owen is the Director of the Walnut Hill School for the Artsí Ballet Department and Walnut Hill Summer Dance. Mr. Owen is also a former principal danseur of American Ballet Theatre where he had a distinguished 26-year career.
Lesley Tunstall-Weiner
Ms. Tunstall-Weiner is the Director of the Pre-Professional Ballet Program at Portland Ballet and received her teacher training diploma at Canadaís National Ballet School.
Sabir Yapparov
Mr. Yapparov is a former principal dancer at Odessa Academic Theater of the Opera and Ballet in the Ukraine and guest principal throughout the former Soviet Union, Europe, and Canada.
Amy Young
Ms. Young is a current member of the acclaimed Paul Taylor Dance Company who has taught and choreographed for the Perry-Mansfield Performing Arts Camp and Alaska Dance among others.
BALLET FACULTY
Kathryn Stark
Director of Walnut Hill Summer Youth Dance and the Community Dance Academy
Ms. Stark has been a faculty member of Pittsburgh Youth Ballet, American Academy of Ballet, Buffalo, NY and Chautauqua Institute. She received her dance training at North Carolina School of the Arts, Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre School, and as a child with Jean Gedeon. Ms. Stark danced with Ballet Met in Columbus, OH and was a principal dancer of Southern Ballet Theatre (now Orlando Ballet).
Janet White, Assistant Director of Summer Youth Dance
Ms. White is currently on the faculty of The Ailey School, New York, NY. Ms. White holds a B.A. of Fine Arts from Texas Christian University. She has performed principal roles with Classics Dance Theater, where she has also served as Resident Choreographer. Ms. White has taught at Ballet Hispanico and Steps on Broadwayís Young Dancerís Program. Her choreography has been performed at the Joyce SOHO and New Dance Group in New York City
Matthew Carter
Mr. Carter received his dance training at the Lake Erie Ballet School, North Carolina School of the Arts, and Miami City Ballet School. He danced professionally with Ohio Ballet, Lake Erie Ballet, Omaha Theater Ballet, and Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo. Matthew is currently the Co-Director of Motion41 Dance in Omaha, NE.
Sherri Kitchens
Ms. Kitchens trained at the School of the Pennsylvania Ballet, and with Ditzi Nagy and Allan Miles in her hometown of Columbus, Ohio and continued her studies in New York City with Rosanna Seravalli, Elisabeth Carroll, and Nadine Revene. Ms. Kitchens danced with the Hartford Ballet, Milwaukee Ballet, and Tucson Ballet. She has been an instructor at Boston Ballet School, Ballet Theatre of Boston, and Dallas Conservatory of Ballet, and Steps on Broadway.
MODERN AND JAZZ FACULTY
Diane Arvanites (Modern and Choreography)
Ms. Arvanites is the founder and Co-Artistic Director of Prometheus Dance and has been teaching modern technique and choreography at Walnut Hill School for the Arts since 1989. She is currently on the dance faculties of The Boston Conservatory and The Dance Complex in Cambridge, MA. Presentations of her choreography nationally and internationally include The International Dance and Theatre Festivals La Mama, the Joyce SOHO, the Lincoln Center Out-Of-Doors Festival and The Yard on Marthaís Vineyard.
Nicole Danizio (Jazz)
Ms. Danizio has danced with Prometheus Dance, Impulse Dance, and other companies in the Boston area, as well as Brian Brooks Moving Company, and John Freeman Repertoire Dance in New York. Ms. Danizio studied at Idyllwild Arts Acadmey, and is a graduate of Boston Conservatory. She is currently on the faculty of Jeannette Neill Dance Studio and Walnut Hill School for the Arts.
HYDROCONDITIONING
Lynne King, P.T.
Ms. King is a registered physical therapist practicing in Wayland, MA. For the last ten of her thirteen years in practice, Ms. King has integrated aquatic and traditional therapies to expedite the rehabilitation and conditioning of performing artists.
FACILITIES
The Ballet Center at Walnut Hill
The beautiful gambrel-roofed home of the Summer Dance Program offers five spacious studios with large arched windows, dressing rooms, faculty offices, and a lounge area. In addition, the campus fitness center offers a movement studios, as well as cardiovascular and strength building equipment.
Jane Oxford Keiter Performing Arts Center
Stephanie Bonnell Perrin Theater
The 350-seat Perrin Theater is the principal home and performance space for Summer Dance. The theater is a professional level venue with full stage-size wings and a 60-foot full fly loft with thirty-two counter weight battens. The theater has an electronic lighting system and a double sprung stage floor.
In addition, the Keiter Center includes a Green Room, teaching studios, costume shops, spacious dressing rooms with showers, lockers, hanging racks and specially
ADMISSION
Admission to the Summer Youth Dance at Walnut Hill is highly selective. Each year Walnut Hill enrolls talent students from around the nation and the world.
To apply to Summer Youth Dance Program, please submit the following:
- Complete application form
- A nonrefundable $30 application fee
- Two photographs (1 First arabesque and 1 pointe tendu croisé devant)
- One letter of recommendation from a current or recent dance teacher
- Audition in one of the cities in which Walnut Hill will conduct auditions in 2009 or send a video or DVD
Return your application to:
Walnut Hill School
Summer Youth Dance Application
12 Highland Street
Natick, MA 01760
Applications can be mailed to the address above or given to the audition personnel at the audition. Spaces are limited. No admission decision can be made prior to completing the entire application process.
Please call the Office of Admission and Placement at (508) 650-5020 if you have any questions.
AUDITION INSTRUCTIONS
Live Auditions
Live auditions at one of the audition sites take the form of a regular ballet technique class and include barre and centre work. Ladies are asked to have their hair secured up, jewelry removed, and wear pint tights and ballet shoes with a solid-colored, but preferably not black leotard. Gentlemen are asked to wear black tights and a white leotard or t-shirt. Black shoes and white socks are preferred. Pre-registration is not required to audition. Audition registration will take place during the first half hour of each audition session. The application fee of $30.00 and photographs are due at the time of audition.
Video and DVD Auditions
The tape should be approximately fifteen minutes in length and should display a student's technical ability. Examples of classroom work including both barre and centre combinations should be shown. Please do not submit performance exerpts.
Walnut Hill School policy prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin, religion, sex, handicap, sexual orientation, or veteran status. This policy extends to all rights, privileges, programs, and activities, including admission, employment, financial assistance, and educational, arts, and athletic programs.
Disclaimer: All information contained in these pages of is as current as possible, but is subject to change at the discretion of Walnut Hill School without notice.
