Dancing with Mr. B

November 30, 2014

Three schools where students can dive into Balanchine technique and rep 

 

 

Indiana University dancers in Balanchine’s
Divertimento No. 15. Photo by Christophe Buszkiewicz, Courtesy Indiana University.

George Balanchine, and the rich body of work he created, might be considered the gold standard for serious ballet students. But you don’t have to join a company to get the full Balanchine experience. Several college dance programs have master teachers on faculty and bring in luminaries to set repertoire. “The dancers get an all-around education in dance through the choreography that they perform,” says Michael Vernon, chair of the ballet department at Indiana University, which allows dancers to study Balanchine inside and out. “That gives them an edge when joining a company.”

 

INDIANA UNIVERSITY

Bloomington, IN

indiana.edu 

Degree offered:
BS in ballet

No. of dance majors:
50

Degree overview:
Ballet technique every morning with partnering, men’s class, pointe and rehearsals in the afternoon. Jazz and Pilates are also available, plus modern taught by guest teachers.

Balanchine connection:
Faculty member and former New York City Ballet principal Violette Verdy, whom Balanchine created many roles on, coaches work. Répétiteurs certified by The George Balanchine Trust stage ballets for annual concerts—typically one piece each in the fall and spring.

Recently performed rep:
“Emeralds,” “Rubies,” Serenade, Western Symphony, The Four Temperaments, Who Cares?

Where alumni have gone:
Pennsylvania Ballet, Sarasota Ballet, Nevada Ballet Theatre, Sacramento Ballet

 

Guests also stage modern and contemporary repertoire, such as Martha Graham’s Appalachian Spring and Merce Cunningham’s Duets.

 

 

PURCHASE COLLEGE, STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK

Purchase, NY

purchase.edu

Degree offered:
BFA in dance with optional ballet concentration

No. of dance majors: About 180

Degree overview:
Equal emphasis on ballet and modern unless a concentration is declared. Ballet students take ballet technique four days per week, plus pointe and partnering, and complete a senior project in ballet.

Balanchine connection:
Interim director Bettijane Sills, a former New York City Ballet soloist who worked directly with Balanchine, is a member of The George Balanchine Trust and stages his work often. Select students can also study and perform Balanchine works for their senior projects.

Recently performed rep:
Serenade, Valse-Fantaisie, Tarantella, The Four Temperaments, second movement of Tschaikovsky Suite No. 3

Where alumni have gone:
Ballet Hispanico, L.A. Dance Project, Dance Theatre of Harlem

 

Purchase was the first college program allowed to perform Balanchine repertoire, dancing Serenade in the early 1980s.

 

 

UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA

Tucson, AZ

arizona.edu

Degree offered:
BFA in dance

No. of dance majors:
About 125

Degree overview:
Equal emphasis on ballet, modern and jazz. Students take all three, but can choose to concentrate in one.

Balanchine connection:
Professor Melissa Lowe, a former Pacific Northwest Ballet principal who studied at the School of American Ballet, has brought in répétiteurs and coaches, such as Edward Villella, to stage Balanchine works.

Recently performed rep:
Serenade, Concerto Barocco, Allegro Brillante, Tschaikovsky Pas de Deux, The Four Temperaments, “Rubies,” Tarantella

Where alumni have gone:
San Francisco Ballet, Houston Ballet, BalletMet, Smuin Ballet

 

Seniors take a dance business course to learn how to market themselves and prepare for the professional world.