As part of the NORD/NOBA Center for Dance, students in the Pre-Professional Program can receive scholarships to train during the summer at programs around the country. In 2010, five students received tuition scholarships from the New Orleans Ballet Association to study at prestigious summer dance festivals.
Over the years, we have witnessed the impact that summer study has had on our students in their technical training and social development. We asked this year’s scholarship recipients to share their experiences with you. |
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| All of these scholarships are provided by NOBA through funds donated by Men and Women of Fashion and BRAVO. Thank you to the donors that made this possible. |
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Destiny Billot
This summer I had the opportunity to attend three ballet summer intensives: Joffrey Ballet School and American Ballet Theatre (ABT) in New York and The Bolshoi Academy in Connecticut. During my two weeks at the Joffrey, I learned placement skills and worked on classical ballet technique. I shared a dorm room with three other students, and when we weren’t in class, we were taken to see two performances by the American Ballet Theatre: Swan Lake and The Sleeping Beauty. I next attended the Bolshoi Ballet Academy for five weeks and met other students who are just like me from around the world—places like Switzerland and Japan. In addition to classes in technique, pointe, character, and repertory, I also had Russian language classes. After Connecticut, I went back to New York to spend a few weeks with ABT. I know that I will really miss all of my friends and teachers who have helped me to become a better dancer. This has been the experience of a lifetime, and I truly believe that I have grown as a dancer, as well as a person. |
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Amanda Bonds
My summer experience this year was a wonderful opportunity for me to do what I love most. Being able to attend the Dallas Black Dance Theater summer intensive has improved my dancing and inspired me to discover all the various aspects of dance. We were taught to master the simple things in dance that are often the most difficult, such as breathing, walking, interactions, spatial awareness, and showing emotion when we dance. Having the opportunity to study from professionals with so much dance experience was absolutely glorious. Being granted the chance to work with talented instructors such as Milton Myers, Mel Tomlinson, Chuck Davis, and others was a life-changing experience. I also had the chance to attend the NOBA summer intensive, which helped my dance training a great deal as well. At the NOBA intensive I had the opportunity to dance with other wonderful kids, perform, and be taught by master dance instructors like Tony and Uri Sands from TU Dance Company. Overall, I had a wonderful summer full of dance. |
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Zuzanna Mrozek
I have attended ADF for the past three years, and I can honestly see myself spending many more summers there. It is a constant presence in my life, and this summer it really challenged me to keep finding new ways to approach dance. I took class from Jesse Zaritt, and he revolutionized the way I think about movement and completely changed my movement vocabulary. My classes with Gerri Houlihan introduced me to Límon technique, and by working with her, I found a sense of control that has really strengthened my dancing. In addition to my regular classes, I auditioned and participated in an ADF commissioned piece, choreographed by Tatiana Baganova, who pushed us to our limits. Her piece Sepia involved suspended hourglasses above the stage that poured sand on us as we danced. Every year at ADF, I end up working on a new aspect of myself. This year I really focused on my dance, and I feel that I have become a completely different, but better, dancer. I am extremely grateful and would like to thank NOBA and my teachers for their support and letting me do what I love! |
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Courtney Ross
This past summer, I attended the six-week summer intensive for The Ailey School, the official school of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in New York City. I know this experience will be very beneficial for me when I start my journey as a Bachelor of Fine Arts student at the Fordham/Ailey BFA Program this fall. During the intensive, I was extremely blessed to form close relationships with some of the most tenured members of the Company - relationships that are highly important and rare. In addition, I also had a chance to take some technique classes, such as Graham, that I have never had the opportunity to study before. My experience at the Ailey School this summer will allow me to have a head start in the fall. I will already know what is expected of me at the school, and I will already have relationships in place with some of the teachers and staff. I want to thank the NORD/NOBA Center for Dance for supporting me in all of my endeavors. Without this program, I would never have been able to realize my dreams. |
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Raven Ross
During the summer at the San Francisco Conservatory of Dance, I took classes in gaga, a dance language created by Ohad Naharin, the director of Israel's Batsheva Dance Company. Participating in gaga classes taught by one of Naharin's emissaries and learning about its process and Batsheva's repertory encouraged me to become a more versatile and open minded dance artist. Over the course of the intensive my improvisational skills, ballet technique, and understanding of movement were positively influenced by the gaga dance language. To culminate the end of the summer, several pieces by Ohad Naharin were performed. Having seen some of my favorite companies like Cedar Lake and Batsheva perform these same works, I was apprehensive. However, having the opportunity to learn such acclaimed repertory was life changing. I greatly admire Ohad's progressive work and hope to one day study the gaga language in Israel. I am so thankful to have attended the San Francisco Conservatory of Dance, and I look forward to continually incorporating gaga into my dance training. |
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