Ever wonder what students do all day at their summer intensive programs? Hear straight from the source itself- students in each of our four levels share their favorite classes and teachers!
Ever wonder what students do all day at their summer intensive programs? Hear straight from the source itself- students in each of our four levels share their favorite classes and teachers!
“One of my favorite teachers is guest teacher Valentina Kozlova. What I like about her class the most is how she focuses on the clean lines of classical ballet. She always talks about how to push yourself past what you think you can do – hold the balance, finish the turn. She focused a lot on artistry and performance quality. She would say you can have the best technique, but the thing that sets you apart and will allow you to succeed is your personality and artistry.”
“Sarkis’ ballet class is my favorite. He teaches with so much energy. He makes the class personal and revolves corrections around you – starting at barre and continuing through center. I also really like ballroom with Vivienne Ramsey and jazz with Bianca Harris because they are classes you don’t normally get to take during the year. The teachers for these classes are great- they know you aren’t used to the technique so they make class fun. Switching focus so quickly from ballet to ballroom also helps you prepare for the professional dance world. After studying at Chautauqua, I wanted to see what Charlotte Ballet’s summer intensive was all about, and I wanted to be fully exposed to all the teachers I had in NY – It has definitely been worth it.“
“My favorite teacher at the intensive is Jamie Dee Clifton. She is so gorgeous and teaches with so much attention to detail. It is so interesting to learn from someone who was recently in the company! She has a joking sense of humor while teaching class – so she’s not intimidating. I feel really comfortable in her class. I like how she gives general corrections that help everyone and make you wonder if you’re the one she is aiming to correction toward. She is very friendly, but you know she’s watching for corrections. Sometimes she has these eyes that make you know she’s watching you!”
“I love Mrs. Renee’s ballet class. She is literally the sweetest teacher ever! She is so nice and pays individual attention to everyone in the class. This helps us learn better than just hearing general corrections – it gives a personal connection. She make you want to work hard. The stories she tells during class are so inspiring. She shares with us the struggles she had when she was training as a ballerina – it helps us relate to her more.”
“My favorite class is stretch and conditioning with Tara Winston-Conrad. I really enjoyed how she taught her class. She is so energetic! I like this class the most because it is different than all the other classes and you get to move around a lot! Its not technically challenging but it is so helpful for you and your body.”
“I really like Vivienne Ramsey’s ballroom class. I have never done ballroom before so it is really cool to learn something completely new. This is one of my favorite classes because the music is so high energy and fun to dance to. We get to partner with everyone in the class, and when we’re paired with our friends, we just laugh the whole time and enjoy class!”
“I dance at Charlotte Ballet in the academy all year and I love ballet. My favorite teacher of the summer intensive is Traci Gilchrest. She teaches us ballet, company repertory and yoga! I like her classes because she always makes the exercises fun and we do a lot of challenging things. She pushes us, which is something that I really enjoy. If she gives us a combination and we can do it easily, she makes it harder! If we don’t understand something, she goes over it again and again until we get it. At the end of her class, I always feel like I’ve accomplished something.”
“Pointe is my favorite class! I love ballet so much, but I feel like I can dance more maturely while I’m en pointe and I love dancing like that. Mrs. Pacylowski is a great pointe teacher. She corrects you on the things you need and keeps pushing you until you know what you are doing. The steps she teaches work your muscles in the way your muscles need to be worked.”
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Hear Charlotte Ballet company dancers' advice on how to make the most of your summer intensive experience!