Spring 2015 HARID Announces New Scholarship Initative for Male Students The HARID Conservatory recently announced an exciting initiative to support the training of male dancers. HARID’s new Marcelo Gomes Scholarship Program will provide a number of qualified finalists the opportunity to attend HARID’s four-week Summer School on full scholarship. During the Summer School, they will compete for a grand prize: the Marcelo Alex Srb © Alex Gomes Scholarship. The Scholarship will support the winner’s continued studies at the school during the following academic year. HARID director, Gordon Wright, stated, “We are pleased to name this new scholarship initiative in honor of Marcelo Gomes, one of HARID’s most-distinguished alumni. Marcelo has enjoyed an esteemed career as a principal artist with American Ballet Theatre in New York City. He is revered worldwide for his technical Marcelo Gomes (Class of 1996), principal, expertise, artistic sensibility, and his exceptional American Ballet Theatre Photo: MIRA, American Ballet Theatre © abilities as a partner. Being named the winner of Alex Srb © Alex a scholarship bearing Marcelo’s name will be a tremendous honor and a feather in the cap of any young male dancer.” If you would like to help underwrite this important scholarship program, please contact Annabel Russell or Gordon Wright at HARID. Winter Performances HARID’s Winter Performances, presented last December 13 and 14, once again offered a varied program of classical ballet, character dance, and modern dance. In an Excerpt from Esmeralda, five female dancers in bold black, red, and gold tutus Alex Srb © Alex displayed their classical ballet technique with a Gypsy flair. Their dancing, accented by the use of tambourines, portrayed a sense of excitement and abandonment. IN THIS ISSUE Danielle Armstrong’s newest modern-dance piece, Ever After, was wonderfully performed by a cast of five couples. The use of intricate partnering was a great learning experience 1 New Scholarship for the dancers and added many interesting visual images. The piece was set to original Initative music composed by HARID accompanist, David Schanzer. 2 Spring Performances The Mazurka from Coppelia was staged by HARID’s character dance instructor Bertha 2 Support HARID While Valentin. Set in a village square, the dance is a joyful celebration of the harvest. The You Shop dancers, in elegant, burgundy costumes, performed with energy and aplomb. 3 HARID’s Class of 2015 HARID’s holiday tradition, Divertissements from The Nutracker, Act II, once again served as 3 Summer School the program finale. The Russian Trepak and Chinese Tea dances were newly choreographed Recruitment by faculty member Meelis Pakri, who also staged the Grand Pas de Deux. The other 4 Great Give Palm dances—Spanish Chocolates, Arabian Coffee, Dance of the Mirlitons, and Waltz of the Beach County Flowers—were expertly staged by Victoria Schneider and Svetlana Osiyeva. As always, 4 Alumni Spotlight the ballet was well rehearsed and beautifully performed by the dancers. The Spring Performances Are Coming! This year’s Spring Performances will be held on May 22, 23, and 24 at the Countess de Hoernle Theater in Boca Raton. An ambitious, varied program is planned. Paquita was first staged in Russia by Marius Petipa in 1847. Needless to say, the ballet has passed the test of time! HARID will open its spring program with a version of Paquita adapted for our students by faculty members Svetlana Osiyeva and Victoria Schneider. It includes a corps de ballet, a number of soloists, and a pas de deux—an excellent vehicle in which to showcase the talent found in each of the school’s levels of study. The waltz or garland dance from the first act ofThe Sleeping Beauty will provide an additional opportunity for the dancers to demonstrate their classical ballet training. In the complete ballet, the waltz takes place during a celebration of Princess Aurora’s sixteenth birthday. It is danced to Tchaikovsky’s enchanting music. Victoria Schneider has staged this charming dance for the upcoming performances. Former artistic director of Colorado Ballet, Martin Fredmann, has kindly granted Mark Godden’s Miroirs HARID permission to present his ballet A Little Love in May. Created for three Photo: Guillermo Galindo © couples, this contemporary ballet is set to five songs performed by Nina Simone. It is being staged for HARID by faculty member Meelis Pakri who performed the ballet numerous times as a principal dancer with Colorado Ballet. HARID’s resident choreographer, Mark Godden, visited the school again this winter and, for the first time, staged one of his existing ballets for the Spring Performances. (Godden traditionally creates a new work for the students each year.) Miroirs was created for and first performed by Canada’s Royal Winnipeg Ballet. Set to Maurice Ravel’s suite for solo piano (of the same title), the ballet includes five movements and features a solo, a duo, a trio, and several other small groupings of dancers. Do not miss the American premiere of this captivating work! Tickets for the Spring Performances are available online at www.harid.edu/performances. They may also be ordered by telephone at 561-998-8038, or purchased at HARID’s ticket office located at 2285 Potomac Road in Boca Raton (Monday – Friday, 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.). Please join us at this year’s Spring Performances! Please Support Our Dancers YoungArts Foundation Winners Although all HARID students receive full-tuition Two of HARID’s seniors have been named winners in scholarships, the Conservatory must charge fees the 2015 National YoungArts competition. Andrea for housing, meals, and dance supplies. To ensure Fabbri and Hayden Slaff (who are also Rudolf Nureyev that talent remains the sole criterion for admission, Education Fellowship recipients) were selected HARID provides more than $100,000 in financial aid as winners after participating in the YoungArts annually to students whose families cannot afford competition in Miami this past winter. Founded in these fees. Over the years, hundreds of students have 1981, the National YoungArts Foundation recognizes received such assistance and, without it, many of our and supports America’s most talented 15–18 year olds most-notable alumni could not have completed their in the visual, literary, and performing arts. studies at the school. The funds used to provide student financial aid are raised each year through HARID’s annual-fund SUPPORT HARID WHILE YOU SHOP! campaign. The success of the campaign is vital to HARID’s mission. Please help make HARID’s annual- Amazon will donate .5% of your online purchases to HARID. fund campaign a success by making a generous, tax- Please follow this link and add The HARID Conservatory as your deductible contribution at this time. benefitting organization:www.smile.amazon.com . Then, Your support will be greatly appreciated. each time you shop, you will be supporting our talented dancers. (And, it will cost you nothing!) Page 2 | Spring 2015 | The HARID Conservatory | 561.997.2677 | www.harid.edu | [email protected] Summer School Recruitment This past winter, more than three-hundred-fifty young dancers applied for admission to HARID’s Summer School by attending auditions conducted in eighteen cities across the United States. Just sixty-two of the candidates have been accepted and those fortunate few will move into HARID’s residence hall in June to spend four rewarding weeks studying with the faculty. In addition, they will enjoy many of South Florida’s special activities and attractions. HARID’s annual Summer School serves as an extended audition for the academic year. Throughout the program, the students will vie for an opportunity to become a member of HARID’s 2015–16 incoming class. HARID’s Class of 2015 Eleven talented dancers will receive their diplomas at HARID’s Commencement and Awards Dinner in May. The trustees, faculty, and staff are proud and happy to congratulate Coco Alvarez-Mena, Iago Bresciani, Kristin Cowger, Fiona Dassum, Julia Doering, Andrea Fabbri, Morgan Froehlich, Nika Jurich, Bryce Mitchell, Hayden Slaff, and Kelsey Tierney as they prepare to graduate and move on to a new stage of their young lives. Best wishes to the Class of 2015! National Honor Society Alex Srb © Alex Inducts New Members HARID’s Class of 2015 (incomplete) Five new members were inducted into The HARID Conservatory Chapter of the National Honor Society on March 25. Congratulations to Livia Bedwell, An Inspiring New Benefit Morgan Froehlich, Natalia Lascano, Ingrid Thoms, and Rebecca Trionfo. The criteria for NHS membership for Contributors are outstanding scholarship, leadership, service, and character. On the final Saturday of each semester, HARID’s students gather in Studio C (the school’s largest practice space) and present an informal demonstration of the work they have accomplished in their character, modern, Spanish, and jazz classes. Traditionally, attendance at the demonstrations has been limited to the students, faculty and staff members, and the families of any local students. Invariably, the work presented during these class demonstrations is extremely impressive. For this reason, it has been determined that others should have an opportunity to enjoy it. This year, an invitation for two to attend HARID’s end-of-semester class demonstrations (the first is in mid-January; the second is in mid-May) has been established as an annual-fund benefit at the $250+ level. Please support our young artists by giving generously to HARID’s annual-fund campaign and take advantage of this 2015 National Honor Society inductees inspiring new benefit. You will not be disappointed! [email protected] | www.harid.edu | 561.997.2677 | The HARID Conservatory | Spring 2015 | Page 3 Visit From An Alumnus Jacob’s Pillow, Here He Comes On March 8, the dancers attended “Stars of International Ballet”, a gala performance presented by Festival of the Arts HARID dancer, Iago Bresciani, has been awarded a full Boca at Mizner Park.