By American Repertory Ballet
PRINCETON, NJ – Each year, Princeton Ballet School, the official school of American Repertory Ballet and one of the largest non-profit ballet schools in the country, hosts a Summer Intensive program that attracts highly talented dancers from around the world. Princeton Ballet School’s Summer Intensive is one of the oldest programs of its kind in the US, and offersyoung dancers intensive ballet study with some of the most renowned faculty in the field.
Students attending the program were selected from Princeton Ballet School’s Summer Intensive Audition Tour, which took place this past winter. Auditions were held around the US and in Rome, Italy. Attendees are coming from around the US – as far as California – and from Canada, Italy, and Spain. The students will live on Princeton University’s campus while attending classes six days per week at the Princeton Ballet School’s location in the Princeton Shopping Center at 301 North Harrison Street.
Princeton Ballet School Director, Mary Pat Robertson, and American Repertory Ballet Company Director, Douglas Martin, will conduct the program alongside Princeton Ballet School’s impressive array of faculty, who include: Kathleen Moore, former principal ballerina with American Ballet Theatre, and current American Repertory Ballet teacher and senior faculty member; Katie Glasner, former dancer with Twyla Tharp, and current Associate Professor of Dance at Barnard College; Mary Barton and Maria Youskevitch, senior faculty members; and many special guests.
The program will culminate with “An Evening of Dance” – a performance at McCarter Theatre Center’s Berlind Theatre on July 27, 2012 at 6:30pm.
Princeton Ballet School’s year-round students will be attending prestigious Summer Intensive programs around the country, including programs at Alonzo King’s LINES Ballet, Burklyn Ballet Theater, Carolina Ballet, Miami City Ballet, Pacific Northwest Ballet School, Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre School, Saratoga Summer Dance Intensive, Washington Ballet School, Ballet X, and their “home”, Princeton Ballet School.
About American Repertory Ballet and Princeton Ballet School
American Repertory Ballet’s mission is to bring the joy, beauty, artistry and discipline of classical and contemporary dance to New Jersey and nationwide audiences and to dance students through artistic and educational programs. The organization is comprised of: American Repertory Ballet, the preeminent contemporary ballet company in the state; Princeton Ballet School, one of the largest and most respected non-profit dance schools in the nation; and the Access and Enrichment initiatives, ranging from the long-running and acclaimed DANCE POWER program to the newly launched On Pointe series. The professional company is a classical and contemporary ballet company committed to presenting ballets from the 19th and 20th century alongside new and existing works by choreographers from today. Founded in 1963, the company is currently under the artistic leadership of Douglas Martin, former principal dancer with the Joffrey Ballet. The company’s rich history of repertory includes established masterpieces by distinguished American choreographers such as George Balanchine, Gerald Arpino, Alvin Ailey, Paul Taylor and Twyla Tharp; cutting edge works by choreographers such as Val Caniparoli, Kirk Peterson, Dominique Dumais, Harrison McEldowney, Amy Seiwert, Susan Shields and Melissa Barak; and former Artistic Directors Dermot Burke, Marjorie Mussman, SeptimeWebre and Graham Lustig.
ARB has been designated a "Major Arts Institution" by the New Jersey State Council on the Arts consistently for the past two decades, and has repeatedly been awarded a Citation of Excellence by the Council. ARB was voted People’s Choice for Best Dance Company in 2008 and 2011.
Princeton Ballet School has gained a national reputation for its excellent dance training since its founding in 1954 by Audrée Estey. Princeton Ballet School currently enrolls approximately 1500 students annually from age three through adult and is directed by Mary Pat Robertson. Princeton Ballet School has studios in Cranbury, New Brunswick, and Princeton which are equipped with shock-absorbent floors, non-slip dance surfaces and pianos for live accompaniment. Many of Princeton Ballet School’s faculty members have performed professionally; others have attained graduate degrees in dance education and have won awards for their teaching. Students from the school have gone on to dance in professional ballet and contemporary dance companies in the US and abroad. Graduates have danced with such diverse organizations as the American Ballet Theatre, Paul Taylor Dance Company, Miami City Ballet, STREB, Complexions, Mark Morris Dance Company, Twyla Tharp, Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre, and Momix.
