Local Ballerinas Are Staying

On Their Toes This Summer

By Shannon Hicks

Five members of Newtown Centre of Classical Ballet are probably giving their feet a rest this week now that they have returned from one- and two-week intensives at the American Academy of Ballet (AAB) at Vassar College in Poughkeepsie.

Students of Jennifer Johnston attended AAB Summer School auditions at Vassar in January to earn a spot in the program, which is intended to improve fundamentals of the classical ballet technique for dancers between the ages of 8 and 21. Dancers travel in from across the country to take part in AAB’s program. A quick look at the school’s online guest book showed signatures from California, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York City (plus Hopewell Junction and Utica, N.Y.), Pennsylvania, Texas, and elsewhere in Connecticut. Students develop a self-confidence and a style in their dancing thanks to improved technique and enhanced artistry.

Ms Johnston’s dancers decided to give up some of their free time and attend Summer School, even after talking with former students and hearing of the program’s demands. The dancers were eager to get into the program, in fact.

Mignon Furman is director of the program and Brian Loftus, a former director of dance with Art Educational School in London, is associate director. Ms Furman, a choreographer and educator, has organized 22 previous Summer Schools and has been teaching for more than 30 years.

Participants of the Summer School of Excellence also had the opportunity to study with renowned teachers from New York City Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, and international teachers from Spain, Australia, and London. “Many teachers on the faculty have danced with famous international ballet companies, and have a comprehensive understanding of instruction for students,” Ms Furman wrote in this year’s Director’s Message. “You will return home a confident and inspired dancer, dancing with renewed energy and purpose, and with enhanced artistry,” she also wrote.

An entire dormitory building on Vassar’s campus is turned over to the Summer School, and the college also allows the dancers to use its dining hall and most facilities.

The dancers traveled with Ms Johnston as a group to attend the auditions and “we just got up there and did our best,” said Tory. The girls were able to meet Ms Furman during the auditions.

Acceptance letters were mailed out within a few weeks of the auditions and the six dancers from Newtown Centre of Classical Ballet were all accepted, but one of the girls did not know that right away.

Jenn Agius, Kelsey Cantore, Sasha Geerken, Angela Lam, and Tory Senete all received letters from the academy within two weeks of their auditions. Emily Brewer was the only dancer who did not receive a letter. It turned out to be lost in the mail.

“I didn’t think I was accepted,” Emily said recently, “and then the letter just showed up a few months later. I was happy and very relieved. It was definitely a good feeling.

“I’ve always just loved to dance, and I was really happy about this particular acceptance because this is probably the last summer I’ll be able to do something like this,” continued Emily, who lives in Monroe and will be a senior at Masuk High School in the fall.

Emily and Angela both took the one-week technique intensive that ran June 29 to July 4 and focused on turn-out, port de bras, footwork, placing, elevation, pointe, pirouettes, and presentation. Kelsey, Jennifer and Tory attended the two-week session that wrapped on July 20. (Although accepted, Sasha Geerken was unable to attend due to a personal schedule conflict.)

For all five girls, it was a new experience.

“I’m starting to get more serious about my dancing,” said Jenn Agius, who will be a freshman at Westover School in Middlebury. “I don’t know that I necessarily want to turn dancing into a career, but I want to do better with it now.”

Tory Senete, age 13 and a resident of Brookfield, said she was hoping to take advantage of the program’s technique training. “I’d like to better my endurance and flexibility,” she said, while admitting, “I’d also like to have some fun with my friends too.”

Endurance was going to be key for dancers before they even began the program. Faculty notes emphasized to newcomers that they would be dancing no less than 6½ hours every day, Monday through Saturday.

Kelsey Cantore of Newtown, who began dancing about seven years ago, has been Ms Johnston’s class assistant with the beginner class children for the last two years. She was Janus in Four Seasons during the studio’s recent recital, and the individual piece she choreographed for the performance was “Diamonds Are A Girl’s Best Friend.” Also 13 years old, Kelsey said one reason she decided to go for the summer program was to see how much she could improve in a short period of time.

“I’ve read notes by former students and they speak very highly of the program,” she said. “I love ballet and I would rather get special training instead of trying to practice on my own at home.”

To prepare for Summer School, Kelsey put in time working on her ballet technique, and doing a lot of exercise –– she did a lot of running both on a treadmill and outdoors, and walking in the weeks leading up to the program. Tory took extra ballet classes, and Jennifer Johnston opened the studio for the other dancers heading to Vassar who wanted additional time working with their teacher.

“They don’t want the intensive to be a shock to your body,” said Kelsey, who is already looking forward to next year. After completing her Summer School studies, Kelsey went to the school’s online guest book on July 20 and wrote to thank all of her teachers, who “taught me everything I needed to know to improve.”

To her new friends at AAB she wrote: “I miss you already and I can’t wait to go back next summer!”