Ascending Star Dance Directory
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The School of Theatre and Dance at Northern Illinois University provides intensive artistic and academic training for students preparing for careers in theatre and theatre-related areas. The course of study is rigorous and realistic, designed to develop, challenge and broaden the skills and attitudes of all theatre students, but especially the highly motivated student who takes responsibility for his or her own growth.
Our principles are simple. Students perform publicly all four years of the program. Our students have a strong work ethic and commitment to excellence, but also the ability to work as an ensemble and treat other artists with respect – this is not only fostered but required. We emphasize in collaboration and NOT Competition!
In our rigorous program focused on contemporary modern dance, our students learn how the body works, research our art form's expansive history, and define their own voices as performers and choreographers. Together we embrace the messiness of creation and explore how our diverse viewpoints can contribute to the evolution of dance.
Called "a hotbed of choreographic innovation" by the New York Times, our intimate program features one-on-one mentoring from an extraordinary group of resident performers, choreographers, scholars, and educators plus numerous guest artists. Our faculty members have been honored with six New York Dance and Performance ("Bessie") Awards, a Doris Duke Performing Artist Award, two Fulbright Scholarships, and two Guggenheim Fellowships. They have been performers and choreographers for artists ranging from Mikhail Baryshnikov to Bebe Miller to Paul Taylor. Dedicated educators, they have earned numerous campus awards for excellence in research, teaching, and advising.
Building deep relationships across the professional dance world, we connect students with major ensembles such as the Trisha Brown Dance Company and the Merce Cunningham Dance Company, which have welcomed our alumni as performers, and each year we select a few students for our unique Mark Morris Shadow Program. With broad skills, our graduates choreograph, become artistic directors, dance on Broadway, teach, write, and thrive in body-based professions.
Our collaborative work lives at the forefront of innovative and integrative techniques that transform dancing and choreography. We invite students to take charge of their education, experiment, immerse in the creative process, and lead dance into new territories. All students—in our BFA, BA, and MFA programs or our courses for non-dance majors—are encouraged to locate center and go from there.
The Berkshire Ballet Theatre is Summers Academy of Dance's pre-professional training program for motivated dancers 12-20 years old.
Students learn through technique classes and performances in a creative and disciplined environment. Intermediate 1 and 2 students begin the classical syllabus which requires students to work carefully with much repetition in order to isolate the correct muscle groups required for turn-out, extension, and a strong jump. When a student is ready pointe training begins. Character dance, modern dance and floor barre are also introduced into training. Berkshire Ballet Theatre trainees, apprentices, and company dancers continue advanced classical ballet training including classical variations, pas de deux, repetoire.
The doors of the Summers Academy of Dance opened in 1996 on Berkshire Drive in Crystal Lake. Since that first day dancers from 18 months old to adults; beginners to professionals have come through our doors to train with our outstanding faculty and experience the joy of dancing.
Our Mission: To assist students in developing scholastic aptitude and excel in life by providing excellent education through various forms of dance and performing arts.
At the Summers Academy of Dance you can find classes for the child, teen, or adult recreational dancer who enjoys dancing once or twice a week for the creative, fun, and physical outlet. If you are looking for a more disciplined, program with more hours of training we offer award- winning competition teams, and a pre-professional ballet company.
Whether you are simply seeking to experience the joy of dance for personal accomplishment or you are seeking a professional career; we believe that dance should
Salt Creek Ballet trains dancers. From the tiniest youngster in our "fairy tale ballet" class, through the pre-professional level and beyond to our teen/adult classes, we offer excellent dance instruction to all our students. Believing that a classical ballet foundation is the basis of any of today’s dance styles, Salt Creek Ballet strives to nurture children and adults alike in the beauty, discipline and art of dance.
Salt Creek Ballet performs. Producing at least two fully staged productions each season, Salt Creek Ballet has gained critical acclaim for its quality of dancers and professionalism, offering audiences a unique opportunity to experience the majestic beauty of classical ballet at a level usually associated with top companies.
The Company’s purpose is to bring a high artistic level of dance to the community. The company accepts an elite few from The School of Dance West Ballet at auditions held in August each year for the upcoming season. Junior Apprentices are considered to be in training and therefore may or may not receive performing roles.
Members of DanceWest Ballet Company perform in The Nutcracker and a spring repertoire performance. Dancers also participate in the school concert presented every June, as well as attending the Regional Dance Association Festival held at one of the Mid States companies, usually in May. Company members participate in performances that are scheduled as opportunities for performances arise.
Dance is an art form that takes time and dedication to develop. The School of DanceWest Ballet offers professional instruction, high standards, and a program that allows students to gradually progress according to the level of their individual skills and technique. It is important that each student develops pride, discipline and self-confidence while having fun and facing challenges. We recognize that students are impressionable, therefore, we strive to make each class positive and constructive.
University Ballet of Chicago is a student-run ballet company affiliated with the University of Chicago in Hyde Park. We proudly offer classical ballet training and performance opportunities for dancers of diverse backgrounds and abilities.
UBallet is an expert in storytelling. Our past performances — from the modern Spartacus to the opulent Sleeping Beauty — have been filled with characters delicate and cute, royal and grotesque. We strive to bring stories alive through both classical movement and heartfelt theatricality. Our shows have delighted audiences of all ages and levels of familiarity with dance for more than a decade.
We invite you to attend our free adult ballet classes, which are held in Ida Noyes Hall on the UChicago campus. Twice a year in the fall and late winter, we hold auditions for our semiannual productions. All who audition are cast.
At the Chicago Ballet School classes are offered to dancers of all ages, ranging from three years old up to adult. With a background deeply rooted in the teachings of Cuban ballet, and over 20 years experience, the Chicago Ballet School understands the logic and structure that is developing some of the world’s greatest dancers. It is our belief that dance develops both the body and the brain, so classes are constructed to introduce the proper exercises for specific ages and levels. Focusing on total body coordination and spatial awareness from the very beginning, the school teaches technical ballet concepts that are fitting to the kind of loco-motor and intellectual development that dancer is experiencing.
The Chicago Ballet School takes special interest in making sure ballet never becomes physically harmful nor boring, instead appropriately challenging students to be energetic, enthusiastic, and most of all to have fun! At the Chicago Ballet Center it is very important to convey to all our dancers that ballet not only improves things such as muscle coordination, physical stamina, memory, and social communication, but is quite enjoyable during the process.
Lead by artistic director Jessica Deahr, Chicago Dance Crash has emerged as the premier fusion-style contemporary dance company in the Midwest. Emphasizing a unique mission of both athleticism and accessibility, the Crash aesthetic is most notably recognized by its combination of concert and hip hop techniques in works ranging from full length productions to repertory pieces and freestyles.