California DanceArts Hosts Visit by Gina Ness and Evelyn Cisneros, Both From the San Francisco Ballet
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| Gina Ness with student Kelsey Glidewell |
La Canada: California DanceArts (http://www.caldancearts.com ), a long-established dance academy in La Canada, recently hosted a visit by Gina Ness, former soloist and principal dancer, and Evelyn Cisneros, a world-renowned Prima Ballerina, both of whom had illustrious careers with the San Francisco Ballet. Ballet hopefuls from the Foothill communities and surrounding Los Angeles areas were given a great treat with each woman conducting master classes and group discussions at California DanceArts.
This rare opportunity, was designed to offer intensive training and enlighten aspiring young ballet students to potential career opportunities in dance.
Both Ms. Ness and Ms. Cisneros were at the height of their professional careers during their respective tenures with the San Francisco Ballet in the mid-1970’s. Ms. Ness enjoyed a career with the San Francisco Company that spanned 13 years, and she shared with her students her experiences as a performer with the company, including revealing previously unheard stories about the company’s directors and choreographers, much to the delight of the students.
Ms. Cisneros was equally inspiring as she described her extraordinary experiences touring the world both as a company member and as a guest artist, performing the works of world-famous choreographers. As former fellow company members and long-time friends, the two stars even revealed stories about each other.
Crystal Fernandez, 17, of Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy, and Kelsey Glidewell, 16, of La Cañada High School, both were excited to attend the program and each acknowledged being inspired by the experience. As developing dance students, they agreed that this was the ultimate opportunity, being allowed to study with these two ballet stars and to hear their personal accounts of ballet history.
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| Evelyn Cisneros instructing students |
Both Fernandez and Glidewell have decided to continue their dance training in college, following graduation from high school. In fact, Ms. Fernandez is scheduled to begin auditions to secure placement in several different college dance departments. She admits to being a bit nervous about her upcoming auditions, but adds, “I’m glad I got the opportunity to have this kind of experience at this time to help me prepare”.
Erin Holt, California DanceArts Director stated “Our biggest joy is seeing how students use the information and experiences we provide to accomplish their dreams”.
Since1987, California DanceArts has been dedicated to the purpose of grooming and nurturing the talents of beginning to serious career dance students. The school has established a reputation as a career preparatory school for dancers transitioning to the professional level. Its current location in beautiful La Canada is nestled among several schools and recreational facilities. The school provides three large studio spaces featuring sprung floors designed to prevent injury, 20-foot high ceilings geared for unobstructed jumping, wall mirrors and air conditioning. Director Erin Holt also runs California Contemporary Ballet, a dance troupe that puts on several original ballet productions per year, including the Snow Queen (http://www.snowqueenballet.com ), an original ballet with an original music score. This show is put on every December and recently completed its 12th season. California DanceArts also is putting on several dance intensive workshops for various levels in summer 2010, and more on these can be seen at http://www.danceallsummerworkshops.com . The school’s blog can be seen at http://caldancearts.typepad.com . For more information about California DanceArts and the programs offered by the school, call 818-790-7924, or visit the school online at www.caldancearts.com .
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