Newsletter – March 2014 ABA selected as “Outstanding School” and wins “Gold” Inside this issue: The Akhmedova Ballet Academy is dedicated to providing the finest quality • Competitions ballet training utilizing the Vaganova • Performances Method with personal and artistic • Community Involvement • Summer Intensives mentoring to prepare young talented • Auditions dancers to become strong and fully • Testimonials developed artists for the 21st century • A Peek Inside ABA • Links ready to take their places in major dance companies around the world. Competitions Youth America Grand Prix: ABA was given the “Outstanding School Award” at the Youth America Grand Prix (YAGP) Semi-Finals held in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania January 24-25th. Natalie Schott placed 2nd for her Contemporary Solo and top 12 for her classical solo in the senior division. Elise Haukenes placed in the top 12 for her contemporary solo in the junior division. Jessica Kinnaman not only placed in the top 12 for both her classical and contemporary solos, but has also advanced to the finals which will take place in New York City April 3-11th. Joining her will be the rest of the ABA dancers since their rd ensemble piece earned them 3 place and an 3rd place in Ensemble (Elena Olshin, Jessica opportunity to compete in the finals. YAGP is the Novakovich, Elise Haukenes, Peyton Manfre, Julia world’s largest student ballet competition. Pachulski, Jessica Kinnaman, Natalie Schott) Tanzolymp International Ballet Competition: ABA’s director, Jacqueline Akhmedova accompanied three of her dancers: Elena Olshin, Natalie Schott, and Jessica Kinnaman as they competed in Berlin, Germany at the Tanzolymp International Ballet Competition, February 18- 21, 2014. As Mme. Akhmedova explains, Tanzolymp provided these young dancers an excellent opportunity to compare themselves with recognized international standards of dance while showcasing their professional technical skills and artistic talent. Jessica Kinnaman (age 14) won Gold (1st Place) in the Classical Category within her age group. She was also offered two scholarships one from Winnipeg, Canada and the other from Zurich, Switzerland. ABA dancers with ABA graduate Deanna Mme. Akhmedova with ABA dancers inside The Pearson who is currently dancing with Russian House at the Tanzolymp competition. Staatsballet Berlin, Germany. Performances Spring Festival of Russian Ballet: ABA dancers and recent graduates will present a mixed bill, including the full length ballet "Paquita" as well as original contemporary works and character dances on May 30, 2014 at Montgomery College Cultural Arts Center in Silver Spring. Tickets will be $20 for adults and $10 for both children and seniors. Reservations can be made by emailing [email protected] Community Involvement Mme. Akhmedova and two ABA dancers traveled to Delaware to ABA dancers at Krasnoyarsk National Dance Company of Siberia attend the First State Ballet performance “Up Front” to see ABA presented on February 19, 2014 at The Music Center at Strathmore. graduate Abigail Kasten perform. Abigail is a member of the company. ABA students with 2 members of the Mariinsky Ballet at the Kennedy Center on January 28th for the working rehearsal of Swan Lake. Summer Intensives Committed to excellence, ABA offers the serious dance student, 12-19, a comprehensive and challenging summer experience. Individual attention and daily coaching is provided to help students develop artistically. Classes offered include ballet technique, pointe, repertoire, contemporary, Pilates, nutrition, and private coaching. Each session ends with a demonstration to allow students to perform the variations and choreographies learned. A Photo Shoot on the beach is included in session 2. Session 1 will take place at the ABA studio in Silver Spring, July 7-19th. Session th 2 will take place in Cape Cod; July 28-August 15 Auditions Audition for ABA’s Silver Spring Intensive and Cape Cod Intensive 2014, as well as for our Professional Training Program for 2014/2015, will take place on March 1, 2014 at the Akhmedova Ballet Academy, 10126 Colesville Road, Silver Spring, MD 20901. Interested students who did not attend that audition can schedule one by appointment or send in an audition video. For additional audition and registration information, please email Mme. Akhmedova at [email protected]. Testimonial Every day, I realize more and more just how lucky I am to be able to call myself a graduate of the Akhmedova Ballet Academy. ABA is not only unique because of its semi-private class structure that provides each student with personal technical and artistic development, but also because of its warm and nurturing environment, neither of which would be possible without Madame Akhmedova ‘s constant hard work and dedication to each of her students. Madame Akhmedova‘s tutelage goes above and beyond producing strong and successful dancers; producing artists that are empowered with the knowledge that by being hard-working and respectful, as well as a good person, it is possible to achieve all of your goals. Mme. Akhmedova has been and continues to be the most wonderful and supportive mentor and teacher I could have ever asked for, and I am forever thankful. Everything Madame Akhmedova and my time at ABA taught me allowed me to embark on my professional career and I know I could not be where I am today without her. Deanna Pearson - Staatsballett Berlin, Germany A Peek inside ABA Mme. Akhmedova and ABA dancers take a break from class to enjoy their visitor – Bliss, the cat ABA lounge - where students study together between classes. ABA homework: The following explanation of the Vaganova Method was presented by an ABA dancer to her classmates as one of the ballet history assignments given by Mme. Akhmedova. The Vaganova method is one of the main training techniques of classical ballet. It was developed by Agrippina Vaganova, a graduate of the St. Petersburg Imperial Ballet School. “Basic Principles of Classical Ballet" was published in 1934 and consists of eight standardized levels of instruction. It is a system that demands precision, attention to detail, concentration, and hard work. It encourages dancing with the entire body so that dancers move their arms, legs, and torso together. Vaganova believed that this approach increases awareness of the body, thus creating a harmony of movement and greater expressive range. Those that train in the Vaganova method are more likely to have high jumps, powerful turns, fluid arms, great flexibility, and unparalleled extension. Many of the most famous names in dance history were trained in the Vaganova method: Rudolph Nureyev, Mikhail Baryshnikov, Natalia Makarova, Irina Kolpakova, Igor Zelensky, Diana Vishneva, Svetlana Zakharova, and Natalia Osipova among many others. Dancers trained with the Vaganova method are currently found in principal positions in major ballet companies throughout the world. Sources: Grant, Gail. Technical Manual and Dictionary of Classical Ballet, Third Edition. Dover Publications, 1982. http://dance.about.com/od/ball2/a/Vaganova-Ballet.htm http://www.michiganballet.org/vaganova-method http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vaganova_method http://www.indianaballetconservatory.org/vaganova.html Links: The Akhmedova Ballet Academy was started by Jacqueline Akhmedova in 2011. She began dancing as a child in Munich at the Roleff-King Ballet School and the Munich State Opera Ballet School. After graduating with honors from the Bolshoi Ballet Academy in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, and the Ukrainian Academy of Dance in Kiev, with Bachelors and Masters Degrees in Ballet Performance, Pedagogy, and Choreography, she had a professional career of more than 20 years. She was a principal dancer with the Bolshoi Ballet in Tashkent, the Munich State Opera Ballet, and the Vienna State Opera Ballet, dancing every leading role in the classical and contemporary repertoire and was a guest artist with major companies worldwide. Her students have won such prestigious competitions as the Youth America Grand Prix, Prix de Lausanne, and Tanzolymp and have gone on to successful careers in such companies as American Ballet Theater, San Francisco Ballet, Vienna State Opera Ballet, etc. She has also judged influential international ballet competitions and taught master classes throughout the world. Mme. Akhmedova taught advanced students at the Kirov Academy of Ballet in Washington, D.C. for seven years. She also prepared students for competitions, choreographed, and advised them on their careers, helping them pursue their dreams of dancing with professional companies. She was then the Ballet Master for CityDance Ensemble and the CityDance Conservatory Ballet Program at the Strathmore Center of the Arts in Bethesda, MD before opening the Akhmedova Ballet Academy in Silver Spring, MD. .