Background:
Since 1979, the Pennsylvania Academy of Ballet has offered seminars for serious teachers based upon the Vaganova syllabus. Workshops are conducted by John White, Co-Director of the Academy, who studied and trained for several years with Soviet ballet masters while a member of Alicia Alonso's BALLET NACIONAL DE CUBA. The seminars follow the curriculum and standards set forth by the Vaganova school in St. Petersburg, Russia.
In 1960 Mr. White joined the Cuban Ballet where he became a soloist and ballet master. The company toured extensively throughout Eastern Europe, Latin America and Asia. While in Russia, Mr. White visited the Vaganova school and was privileged to take classes with Russian teachers.
After returning to Cuba, the company arranged for an extended residency by several Russian ballet masters. During this two-year period, Mr. White took daily classes and studied pedagogy under Victor Zaplin. Later, Mr. White began teaching company men's class and also a boy's class in the new state school, CUBANACAN.
After returning to the United States, Mr. White, together with his wife, Cuban ballerina Margarita de Saá, freelanced until they joined the school of the Pennsylvania Ballet Company. Mr. White acted as head instructor, company teacher and interim ballet master. In 1974, the Whites opened their own school, the Pennsylvania Academy of Ballet, near Philadelphia. The Academy has earned a national reputation for training students working toward careers in ballet. Many of the graduates are dancing in companies throughout the world, and several have won high honors in both national and international competitions. Mr. White is considered an authority on the Vaganova method. He has written a book, Teaching Classical Ballet, which was published in 1996.
Material Covered:
The material to be covered comprises the fundamentals of pedagogy for teaching classical dance which stress a detailed analysis of the following:
- The basic stance and correct placement
- Turnout
- Aplomb (vertical alignment and stability)
- Epaulement and port de bras
- Organization of barre, center and allegro exercises
- Pointe
- Simple batterie
- Turns on two legs and on one leg
- Systematic progression from simple to complex
- Division of small and large poses
- Proper musical counts for each exercise
Finally, there will be an analysis of the underlying logic of the method and why it has produced so many outstanding dancers for over sixty years.
Format:
The courses will be conducted in seminar form. Participants will not be expected to dance. Study materials will be furnished, and ample time will be allotted for questions and answers. Attendants will also observe videos that demonstrate the serious professionalism of Russian ballet training.
Goals:
The course is designed to help established teachers and aspiring novices apply sound methodology to their individual teaching situations. Over 600 teachers from the United States and abroad have benefited from these seminars. Experienced teachers will gain greater insights into teaching methodology and theory, while novices will learn the importance of a systematic approach to teaching. The knowledge gained will enable all teachers to work with their students with greater awareness and confidence.
Dates and Fees:
(Location)
Grades 1-3 (July 6-11, 2008), 6 study days
Grades 1-3 cover the elementary years of the Vaganova Syllabus, which emphasizes those subjects mentioned in the “material covered” section above.
This seminar will be held at Bryn Mawr College in Bryn Mawr, PA (a Philadelphia suburb). Out-of-state attendants will be housed in comfortable rooms on campus and eat meals in the school dining room. Commuters may join residents for lunch in the dining room. July 11 is the final day of the seminar . Please make your travel plans to allow you to complete the course.
Leaving early will mean missing important information. If travel plans cannot be arranged to leave at the end of the day (11th) then plan to stay an additional night at the college. This arrangement must be made in advance. (Note the registration form.)
Note - All seminar attendants are invited to observe and take classes at the Pennsylvania Academy of Ballet, at no charge, during their stay in Bryn Mawr.
Dates and Fees:
( Fee Schedule)
Any former seminar students, who wish to repeat years previously taken with John White, will receive a 30% discount on tuition fee.
Grades 1-3
July 6 - 11, 2008
(6 study days)
Tuition Fee: $495.00
Room and Board: $360.00
Check in July 5, out July 11 (6 nights)
Extended Stay: $60.00
July 11 to July 12 (1 night)
The above price includes single dorm room with shared bath, meals and linens.
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