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Cecchetti International Classical Ballet Annual Newsletter No Cecchetti International Classical Ballet Annual Newsletter No. 20, 2014 Inside this issue: Contacts ........................................... 2 Report from the Chair ...................... 3 A Teacher’s Experience.................... 4 Up-Coming Events ........................... 5 Report from CUSA .......................... 6 Congratulations: ............................... 7 Carole Hall Elisabeth Swan Nancy Kilgour Sheila Kennedy 2014 CICB Competition, Richmond, VA USA ......................... 8 Group photographs: Australia .................................... 9 Canada ....................................... 9 Cecchetti Council of America ... 9 Cecchetti USA ........................... 9 Southern Africa .......................... 9 United Kingdom ........................ 9 Jenny Hackwell – United Kingdom, Letters from 2014 Competition dancers: Shardae Matthews ................... 10 student of Kate Simmons, winner of the Hannah Budny ......................... 11 2014 Maestro Enrico Cecchetti Award, Miya Bates ............................... 11 at Richmond VA USA News of previous CICB dancers .... 11 Cecchetti Pioneers: Margaret Saul 1902-1987 ........ 12 Congratulations Obituary: Margaret Valentine ......... 15 to Betty Seibert and her committee for hosting the 2014 Competition and Conference so successfully. CICB Competition, Florence, Italy August 2017 ............................ 15 to all Coaches for their excellent preparation and presentations CICB Resources ............................. 15 A very big ‘thank you’ to Anthony Hawkesworth for List of Maestro Cecchetti all photographs in this newsletter unless otherwise Diploma Holders ............................ 16 indicated. See www.hawkesworth.smugmug.com CONTACTS REPORT from CICB Officers the CHAIR Chairman: Betty Seibert, [email protected] by Betty Seibert Vice Chairman: Gail Myburgh, [email protected] As the final curtain fell on this summer’s enormous global event, Secretary: Susan Booker, [email protected] along with CUSA’s Residential Sum- Treasurer: Joyce Shietze, [email protected] mer Course in Richmond, VA, dele- gates from around the world basked in CICB Delegates and Society contact the glory of another triumphant CICB Australia: Carole Hall, Anne Butler, [email protected] Competition, hosted this time by my organization - Cecchetti USA. I must Canada: Joyce Shietze, Deborah Bowes, [email protected] say it was a pleasure sharing the stage Cecchetti Council of America: Lee Ann King, Ann Parsley, [email protected] with CUSA’s Executive Director, Cecchetti USA: Betty Seibert, Denise Rinaldi, [email protected] Denise Rinaldi, as Co-Hostesses. I was immensely proud of the stellar Danzare Cecchetti A.N.C.E.C. Italy: adjudication panel - former Ballerina Stefania Sansavini, Susan Brooker, [email protected] with American Ballet Theatre - Susan Southern Africa: Gail Myburgh, Yvonne Barker, [email protected] Jaffe; former Principal with Joffrey Ballet - Trinette Singleton; Artistic UK & Europe: Catherine Hutchon, Kate Simmons, [email protected] Director, Dark Circles Contemporary CICB Newsletters: Robina Beard, [email protected] Dance - Joshua Peugh; Order of Can- CICB Website & Facebook Administrator: ada and holder of Maestro Cecchetti Susan Brooker, [email protected] Final Diploma - Nancy Kilgour; and filling in for the ailing Ben Stevenson (Artistic Director of Texas Ballet The- ater), Ballet Master, Richmond Ballet - Malcolm Burns. Coupled with the enigmatic Competition Faculty team of Evelyn Cisneros, Ballet Mistress (former Principal, San Francisco Susan in Florence Ballet); Kirk Peterson, Ballet Master (former Ballet Master, ABT); and CICB Website & Facebook Manager: Geoff Wheatley Angeline Wolf, Contemporary Mis- CICB is very grateful to Geoff Wheatley who will continue as Manager. tress (former Principal with Jennifer www.cicb.org - CICB Muller, The Works) - the competitors www.cecchettiballet.org - Australia were given an extraordinary insight into the professional world of dance www.cecchetti.ca - Canada within a most caring and nurturing www.cecchetti.org - Cecchetti Council of America environment! It was indeed a special moment www.cecchettiusa.org - CUSA when I, as Chair, and Robina Beard, www.danzarececchetti.org - Italy as former CICB Chair, made an on- www.cecchetti.co.za - Southern Africa stage presentation of a gold brooch, made to order in the shape of the www.istd.org - UK & Europe Cecchetti dancer en attitude, to a As well as acting as a link between Cecchetti Organizations around the world very surprised Sheila Kennedy for CICB hopes to contribute to the pertinent and progressive application of the her years of service to CICB, and in method. Suggestions for further Cecchetti Pioneers, young dancers, comments, particular for her labor of love – the articles, photographs, videos/DVDs, web sites, book & music titles for the next book Notes for a Dancer – the pro- newsletter are always welcome. Please mark CICB and send at any time to: ceeds from which she has generously [email protected] or [email protected] donated to CICB. 2 This year, unlike 2008 Calgary guest – Individual Founding Member demonstrate the 1st Set of Port de and 2011 Manchester, the delegates & Treasurer, Sheila Kennedy - were Bras, and the Senior Division the 2nd did not travel to a new venue for their unanimous in our praise of CUSA’s Set of Port de Bras. A list of variations conference following the comple- organizing committee’s preparation appropriate for the Junior Division tion. Instead, I decided to save both for and presentation of the fourth competitors was drafted and will be time and money by having everyone international classical ballet compe- discussed at the next teleconference. stay put at the lovely Crowne Plaza tition. Each time we have learned Besides the monetary awards, Hotel, and we retreated for 2½ days from the past and strive to fine-tune the addition of Cecchetti medals was of meetings in my bi-level suite – a and hone the details, making the next introduced by the host organization comfortable, yet business-like set- one fresh and slightly different from and presented by the Adjudicators ting with a glorious view of the the previous one. to the top four Awardees, a surprise James River while sitting around a During the conference, delegates treat much loved by the winners - large marble conference table set considered and addressed a broad along with certificates of participation for fourteen! Although a wee bit range of subjects, including pro- given to all dancers either as Winners, weary, I called the conference offi- cedures for moving forward to the Finalists, or Competitors. It was cially to order at 10:00 AM on Sunday next, and fifth, competition in Italy, in unanimously agreed to continue this morning. Against the backdrop of 2017! It was felt that, with the grow- practice going forward. Virginia’s capitol city, Anne Butler ing global interest in these Cecchetti Likewise, the competition at- & Carole Hall (Cecchetti Australia), competitions, it was time to broaden tracted a lot of attention on the CICB Deborah Bowes & Joyce Shietze the age range and levels. Next time, Facebook page. We hope to keep up (Cecchetti Society of Canada), Lee there will be two divisions eligible to that kind of momentum! Ann King & Ann Parsley (Cecchetti compete - a Junior Division, for danc- Sadly, the Cecchetti Society of Council of America), Yvonne Barker ers ages 14-16 who have passed Cec- Southern Africa has had to decline & Gail Myburgh (Cecchetti Society chetti Intermediate level and a Senior hosting the CICB Competition in of Southern Africa), Kate Simmons Division, for dancers 17 – 20 years 2020 due to safety concerns for any & Elisabeth Swan (Cecchetti UK), of age having passed the Advanced minors travelling from so far away. Susan Brooker (Danzare Cecchetti), 1 exam. It was agreed to formulate It was therefore agreed to accept Denise Rinaldi & myself (Cecchetti some parameters for the content of the Cecchetti Ballet Australia’s gracious USA), along with our dear invited class – the Junior Division will now offer to host the event in that year in order to keep it in the Southern Hemisphere. It was determined that the annual membership fees would be raised to $250.00CDN for the next three years. It was also agreed to appoint Amy Blake Hoffman from Canada as bookkeeper for CICB, while keeping the elected Treasurer amongst the delegates who will work closely with the bookkeeper and report back to the delegates. Before the conference ended, of- ficers were elected for the next three- year terms: Betty Seibert, Chair; Gail Myburgh, Vice Chair; Susan Brooker, Secretary; Joyce Shietze, Treasurer. Working for two full solid days, we were able to complete our business as scheduled by 12:00 on Tuesday, the L-R standing – Elisabeth Swan, Anne Butler, Kate Simmons, Susan Brooker, Gail last day of the conference. Myburgh, Deborah Bowes, Lee Ann King. L-R sitting - Sheila Kennedy, Carole Hall, Denise Rinaldi, Betty Seibert, Chairperson, Yvonne Barker, Joyce Shietze, Ann Parsley. continued on page 4 3 A Teacher’s Experience at the Cecchetti International 2014 Classical Ballet Competition by Karen Davies-Thomas, F.I.S.T.D. Ontario Canada This world class competition new ideas each day with a different end of the week, these competitors for pre-professional dancers was teacher training the advanced 2 and showed their classical and contem- the highlight of my summer train- Diploma. Professional
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