20th AAB Year! American Academy of Ballet Mignon Furman, Founding Director

Teachers’ Seminar & The Mignon Furman Performance awards certification * You may select July 16 – 28, 2018* the days to attend. Teachers attend from the USA, Brazil, Argentina, Japan, South Africa, Mexico, Israel, and Spain.

at Purchase College, State University of New Y ork Purchase, New York Mignon Furman Founder of the AAB, Teacher, Choreographer, Educationist.

ith her talents, courage, and determination to give definition to her vision for ballet Weducation, Mignon Furman started the American Academy of Ballet: It soon became the premier Summer School in the United States.

he composed the Performance Awards which are taught all over USA, and are an Sinternational phenomenon, praised by teachers in USA and in many other countries. The success of the Performance Awards is due to Mignon’s choreography: She was a superb choreographer. Her many compositions are free of cliché. They have logic, harmony, style, and ultimately, beauty.

argot Fonteyn, a friend of Mignon, gave her invaluable advice, during several Mdiscussionsabout the technical, and artistic aspects of classical ballet. Mignon had the good fortune to benefit from the wisdom, and unique experience of the most famous ballerina of the 20th century.

ignon also composed seven instructional DVDs for the teaching of classical ballet. MShe was a remarkable teacher. Her prodigious knowledge, and classical style gave her dancers the recognizable “Furman” look. She was also qualified to teach ballroom and Victorian dance.

oupled with Mignon’s ballet skills, was a tireless energy in organizing. She was a planner and administrator Cpar excellence. efore coming to New York, Mignon was the Director of the University of Cape Town Ballet School, with special responsibility for teacher-training. She formulated the program for the 80 trainee teachers, and 400 students Bat the Ballet School. She was nominated for the Distinguished Teacher Award from amongst the entire university’s academic staff of professors, and lecturers. She also formulated the syllabus for ballet in the public schools; was the head-examiner for many years; and was president of the dance section of the city’s performing arts program. She was awarded a Fellowship for her work for the RAD, and was the National Organizer in America for 5 years before she left the RAD to start the American Academy of Ballet.

We all at the AAB have the honor of keeping Mignon’s flags proudly flying.

2 Teachers’ Seminar and Mignon Furman Performance Awards Certification 2018 Reasons to attend the seminar 10 and the performance awards certification

Performance Awards and “Steps” programs. Most wonderful programs for teachers and their dancers. (View the brochures on our website.) Certification: Become a certified Performance Awards teacher. Six Dances: To teach in your school. (See page 5.)

Observe: Our distinguished international faculty teaching our Summer School dancers. You have the option of taking the classes.

Pedagogy: Instruction by our faculty in teaching methodology.

Q&A: With our faculty. Dance Building

Refresh: Your teaching — barre to grand allegro. (When was your last refresher course?)

Be inspired: By our superb programs.

Relax: In the nearby Doral Resort Hotel. (The special rate includes breakfast.) Glorious Food: Meals in our dining hall are included.

For fees, see the Enrollment Form. Please call (212) 787-9500 or email [email protected] for more details.

I look forward to welcoming you. Best wishes, Simon Kaplan, Director

Everything moves forward. “ Therefore, I recommend: Keep in touch with your art. — Agrippina Vaganova, ” Doral Resort Hotel Restaurant “Basic Principles of Classical Ballet” (1934)

Teachers’ Seminar and Mignon Furman Performance Awards Certification 2018 3 mignon furman’s Performan ce Awards • Awarding medals, and certificates at the event is so exciting for the dancers, and their parents ! • A new program will bring new enthusiasm to your school ! • Choice of 115 choreographic compositions ! • increase enrollments ! • Loved by parents, dancers – & teachers ! • ready-made programs of combinations & music ! • Dancer- & teacher-friendly!

Mignon Furman’s charming choreography makes the program a delight to teach a joy to dance a pleasure to watch.

Teachers, dancers and parents love it!

In schools across America and in 10 other countries.

dditionally, there are CDs, DVDs, and notes. You will be amazed at the results: Technique and performance improve immensely; dancersA are more enthusiastic; and parents are thrilled.

tarting at age 5, the program develops over 12 Levels — a choice of 115 Sshort compositions of increasing complexity that will inspire your dancers to perform their personal best. he dancers dance before an audience of family and friends. Medals, and T certificates are awarded to EACH dancer after the performance.

Medal Line-Up: One of the two Performance Awards at Summer School.

4 Teachers’ Seminar and Mignon Furman Performance Awards Certification 2018 AAB Teachers’ Seminar A brief summary of the programs (Details are on the Enrollment Form.) 1 pedagogy The perfect pirouette: Prepare. The turn. The finish. En dehors. En dedans. Atitude. Pique, etc. Pointe: Prepare. Beginner. Advanced. “Technique Clinic”: Correction of faults: Sickle Feet. Heels. Turn-in. The Importance of Style. Petit Allegro: In its many forms. The Barre: Prepare Your Dancers for The Center. Batterie: From Changement to Cabriole. Pas de Deux: Young and advanced dancers. grand allegro: All of the big jumps. 2 Six Dances To Teach In Your School • Two classical variations. • Authentic Russian dance for “The Nutcracker” • Authentic Spanish dance for “The Nutcracker” • Musical Theater dance. • Dance from Mignon Furman’s “Presentation” 3 Performance Awards Certification • Detailed instruction in this wonderful program. • Receive a certificate of qualification. • Observe Summer School dancers being coached. • Observe an actual Performance Awards event. • DVDs, CDs and manuals supplement the classes.

4 “steps” – 7 programs See next page. 5 OBSERVE or take CLASSES • By our superb faculty teachers, teaching the Summer School dancers. (You may participate in the classes.) • Note the combinations, the corrections, and the words to inspire the dancers.

Teachers’ Seminar and Mignon Furman Performance Awards Certification 2018 5 Mignon Furman’s

“Steps” Programs will organize your teaching.

Excellence in ballet is achieved “by repitition: This is not boring if the ultimate goal is predominant.” —Agrippina Vaganova, “Basic Principles Of Classical Ballet” (1934)

First Steps rom her many years of teaching children; students and trainee teachers at university level; and Fteachers at Summer School, Mignon Furman devised a system of teaching that gives you a program: age by age, class by class. No need to select music It has been carefully chosen by Mignon. Don’t think “What shall I teach today?” “Steps” will organize your teaching. Now I Am a Teen

First Steps (ages 5 - 8) Between Tot and Teen (ages 8 - 10) Second Steps (ages 6 - 9) Now I Am A Teen (ages 11 - 13) Third Steps (ages 7 - 10) pointe to pointe (Beginning & Intermediate) Junior Steps (ages 8 - 12)

Below is an extract of the contents of a DVD. Notice the attention to detail.

Third Steps Barre Exercises Center 1. Exercise for the feet and for Demi Pointe 9. Walking on Demi Pointe 2. Exercise for Demi Plies 10. Exercise for Galops Sideways 3. Exercise for Battement Tendu 11. Exercise for Petit Jetes 4. Exercise for Battement Tendu a la Seconde 12. Step and Hop from Side to Side 5. Exersice for the placing of the foot at the 13. Little Runs into the 4 Corners and back, a preparation for Petit Jetes Spring Points “Like a Bird” 6. Exercise for Petit Jetes 14. Polka Step 15. End Story - “The Injured Bird” Floor Work 16. Reverence 7. Exercise for the Legs and Back 8. Exercise for Turn-Out

6 Teachers’ Seminar and Mignon Furman Performance Awards Certification 2018 Our distinguished Faculty

Vladimir Stadnik Paloma Herrera (Classical Ballet) (Classical Ballet) Graduate of the Vaganova Academy in Russia. Was a Principal Dancer of American Ballet Danced as a soloist in Russia, W. Europe, Theater. Now Director of the Theater Colon, and the USA. Now Professor of Dance at Ball Buenos Aires. State University, Indiana. Kevin Durwael Gil Isoart (Classical Ballet) (Classical Ballet) A graduate of the Artesis University of Was a Principal Dancer with the Paris Opera Antwerp. Danced with Nederlands Dans Ballet. Winner of numerous prizes, and Theater. Soloist with the Royal Ballet of awards. Now teaches, and is rehearsal coach Flanders. Now Assistant Director of the Royal at the Paris Opera Ballet and at the Bolshoi Ballet School of Antwerp. Ballet, Moscow. Luciana Paris Olaf Höfer (Classical Ballet) (Classical Ballet) Was a soloist in Berlin with the Komische Trained at the Colon Theater Superior Art Oper Ballet, and with the Erich-Weimar Institute in Buenos Aires. Danced with Ballet Ensemble. Now teaches at the State Ballet Argentina. Now a soloist with ABT, and School of Berlin. international guest dancer. McCree O’Kelley Craig Salstein (Classical Ballet) (Classical Ballet) Danced with the Atlanta Ballet and Soloist with American Ballet Theater, and Metropolitan Opera Ballet. Toured Artistic Director of the Intermezzo Dance internationally in the Broadway production Company. of Cats. Now Assistant Professor of Dance at Kennesaw State University. Ricardo Santiago (Spanish Dance) Debbie Roshe A graduate of Purchase College SUNY. (Musical Theater) Has danced in the USA, and several other Danced in several Broadway shows. Now countries. Now teaches, and dances in teaches in New York. New York. Tova Tsoubery Gina Chiavelli (Performance Awards) (Performance Awards) A graduate of the Jerusalem Academy. Also Was Adjunct Professor of Dance at Fordham trained at the Bat Dor, with a teacher who was University, and SUNY New Paltz. Now trained by Mignon Furman. Is a Performance Director of Pinewood School of Dance, and a Awards judge. judge for Performance Awards. Analiese Umana Alison Bramwell (Performance Awards) (Performance Awards) BFA graduate of Purchase College SUNY. Trained by Mignon Furman at the University of Rehearsal assistant to Mignon Furman. Cape Town. Danced Adagio in many countries. Now teaches in New York. A judge for Now a Performance Awards judge, and ballet Performance Awards. mistress to a Juillard-affiliated school.

A group of certificated teachers at Summer School.

Teachers’ Seminar and Mignon Furman Performance Awards Certification 2018 7 MIGNON FURMAN’s performance awards 1000s of dancers!

The copyright of the Performance Awards program, and the “Steps” program are vested with the American Academy of Ballet Inc. Reproduction in any form without the consent of the American Academy of Ballet Inc. is an infringement of its rights. 250 West 90th Street New York, NY 10024 Tel: 212-787-9500 Email: [email protected] AAB www.American-Academy-of-Ballet.com American Academy of Ballet