THE 2021 BALLI EXPERIENCE

BY LEANDRA ACOSTA

The NJDTE Ensemble Dancers have been in the studios all Spring for this year’s “¡BALLI di PRIMAVERA! The Dances of Spring”. They have focused their energy and increased their skills with the tremendous opportunities they have had with Master Teachers from American Ballet Theatre, Ballet Hispanico and Paul Taylor to name a few. 

The performance will feature the iconic Paul Taylor Work “Cloven Kingdom”, staged by 20-year Paul Taylor Veteran Michelle Fleet as well as works by; Christopher Bloom of Ballet Hispánico, Excerpts of Don Quixote and Paquita staged by Alexandra Gonzalez, NJDTE Rehearsal Director, Parallel staged by Nancy Turano, NJDTE Artistic Director, NJSCA Fellow and Governor Award Winner. "Learning a Masterwork like CLOVEN KINGDOM provides physical insight to Mr. Taylor’s unique movement, detailed musicality, and brilliant patterning in space," says NJDTE Artistic Director Nancy Turano.

NJDTE Senior Maggie Crowe

"The NJDTE dancers are committed to learning and understanding Mr. Taylor’s style and timeless choreography."

 “Working with the dancers at NJDTE is truly a pleasure as they are all very talented, professional in their work ethic, hungry for information and full of energy, all of which is nurtured by Nancy Turano”, says Michelle Fleet 20-year Paul Taylor Veteran who is staging the piece on our dancers. “Staging these excerpts of Cloven Kingdom has been wonderful, the dancers dove headfirst into this dense work. The NJDTE dancers are committed to learning and understanding Mr. Taylor’s style and timeless choreography. It is a gift to work with each dancer and I hope to leave them with a wonderful Taylor experience”

“Performing an iconic work like Cloven Kingdom is an honor that few professional dancers, let alone pre-professional students, will have in their careers.
That brings with it a responsibility I do not take lightly.  To have knowledge and insight come directly from longtime Paul Taylor Dance Company artists Michael Trusnovec and Michelle Fleet, who worked directly with Mr. Taylor himself, is a reminder of how closely we are linked to a pioneer of modern dance.” – Maggie Crowe

“This year's ¡BALLI di PRIMAVERA! experience and rehearsal process has been one of the most influential on my dance education thus far. As a Senior, this year has been extremely important, I have had the most amazing time dancing and working with my peers, as well as with the talented guest artists and choreographers such as Michelle Fleet, Michael Trusnovec, Chris Bloom, and Alexandra Gonzalez,” said Alina Slotwinski.

"We have been pushing ourselves each day because we never know when all of this can be taken away.”

NJDTE Senior Alina Slotwinski

Anna Pettigrew, NJDTE Senior, had this to say “Regardless of the challenges this has also been a year of focus and growth. We have been fortunate to be able to safely rehearse and dedicate our year to dance. We are so grateful to even be in the studio at all,  we have been pushing ourselves each day because we never know when all of this can be taken away.”

NJDTE Senior Anna Pettigrew

LIVE performances (for parents/guardians only) of ¡Balli di Primavera! are at New Jersey Dance Theatre Ensemble Studios, 315b Springfield Ave, Summit, NJ.
Saturday, May 1st at 2:00pm & 5:00pm (LIVE) Limited to NJDTE Ensemble Family only
Sunday May 2nd at 3:00pm. (LIVE) Limited to NJDTE Ensemble Family only
Sunday May 2nd at 7:00pm, (VIRTUAL) Open to Public including special  “Behind the Scenes” rehearsal footage!

Tickets for the Virtual Performance are On Sale NOW!
$40 1 Ticket Link per household. No Link Sharing.
Use this link to purchase your tickets:  https://NJDTE.networkforgood.com/events/27852-balli-di-primavera-the-dances-of-spring-virtual-showing
 
For More Information on Paul Taylor American Modern Dance visit: www.ptamd.org.

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