NJDTE's 20th Summer Intensive at Drew University is coming to a close this Friday, August 1st. This year's program has attracted a wonderful group of talented dancers who show professional promise. The dancers have been immersed in challenging classes in ballet, pointe, Limon technique, and Horton technique. With master ballet teacher Bivi Kimura, they have learned variations from the ballet Sleeping Beauty, as well as new works-in-progress by NJDTE faculty member Belinda McGuire and NJDTE alumni Darwin Black. In addition, acclaimed choreographer, Kate Skarpetowska is staging a new work for the Ensemble dancers entitled Love is for the Poets, which will premiere in the spring of 2015.  

The students involved in the 2014 Drew Intensive are excited to showcase their three weeks of focused efforts. The final presentation will be this Friday, August 1st.  Join us at Drew University in the Simon Forum in the downstairs dance studio. We look forward to seeing you there!

2014 Drew Intensive Showing
Drew University's Simon Forum Center
2:30pm - 4:00pm

NJDTE celebrates the 20th year of the NJDTE Summer Intensive at Drew University under the leadership of NJDTE Artistic Director, Nancy Turano.

The NJDTE Summer Intensive, held July 14-August 1, gives serious dancers ages 13-17 the opportunity to work in a creative and supportive pre-professional environment and prepares them for a successful professional future.

Dancers learn repertory works by world-class choreographers in addition to working with cutting-edge choreographers to make new works for the Ensemble. The well-rounded curriculum includes ballet, modern, pointe and contemporary technique classes, as well as dance history, yoga, Pilates and improvisation.

NJDTE 2014 SUMMER INTENSIVE FACULTY
Ballet:

Nancy Turano (NJDTE Artistic Director) received her BFA in Dance from SUNY Purchase. She was a principal dancer and rehearsal director with Ballet Hispanico of New York, and she also danced with Buglisi Dance Theatre. She has been Artistic Director of NJDTE since 1994 and has received numerous honors, including Outstanding Alumni by the Chancellor of SUNY Schools, the NJSCA 2011 Distinguished Teaching Artist Award, and the 2012 NJSCA Governor’s Award, in addition to serving as an adjudicator for YoungArts Miami. A master teacher, Turano has been on the faculty of The Ailey School since 1996 and was the founding Director of the Harkness Youth Ballet at the 92nd Street Y in NYC. She has taught for Aspen Santa Fe Ballet, National Ballet of Panama, Teatro San Martín in Argentina, Bat-Dor in Israel, Vancouver Arts Umbrella, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Ballet Hispanico, the School of National Ballet of Sweden, Celine Dion’s “A New Day,” New York University, Purchase College, and various locations throughout the United States. Her own choreography has been presented throughout the United States, Mexico, Panama, Israel, Sweden, and Germany.

Bivi Kimura (Faculty, French Academie of Ballet) studied and performed with many renowned dance luminaries, including Maurice Béjart, Rosella Hightower and David Howard. A master teacher, she has taught nationally and internationally at Ballet Hispanico, the Ailey School, and Grand Ballet de Geneve, among others. She was also a finalist at the Prix de Lausanne.

Mercedes Pablos (Faculty, The Ailey School) holds a BA in Dance from Empire State College and an MFA from The Conservatory of Dance at Purchase College, where she earned the MFA award. She toured nationally and abroad with Ballet Hispanico and has been on faculty at Ballet Hispanico and numerous universities around the country. She is also certified by the Dance Education Laboratory (DEL) dance teacher training program and was a panelist for the National Endowment for the Arts in 2012.

Modern:

Belinda McGuire (Founder, Belinda McGuire Dance Projects & Limón Dance Company) graduated from The Juilliard School and is a recipient of the Bessie Schönberg Residency at the Yard. She has danced with the José Limón Dance Company and Doug Varone and Dancers, among others, and presents solo work through Belinda McGuire Dance Projects.

Kate Skarpetowska (Repetiteur & Assistant to the Choreographer, Lar Lubovitch Dance Company)  received her BFA from The Juilliard School. Her prolific professional career has led her to perform with Parsons Dance, Battleworks Dance Company and Buglisi Dance Theater; she currently dances with Lar Lubovitch Dance Company. Her choreography has been performed by Hubbard Street 2, Parsons Dance, and at numerous universities around the country.

Musical Theater:
Lisa Rumbauskas (NJDTE YDP Director) received a BFA in Dance from NYU's Tisch School of the Arts and is an NJDTE alumna. Rumbauskas has worked with and performed works by Mark Morris, Ann Reinking, Sean Curran, Gus Solomons Jr. and Ronald K. Brown, among others. She has also toured around the country with various Broadway productions, including Swing! and has danced with the Metropolitan Opera Ballet. Rumbauskas is also an American Ballet Theatre Certified Teacher.

Health & Wellness:
Dr. Harlene Goldschmidt, Ph.D.

NEW FACULTY
Ballet:
Karen Verso (Executive Director, Dance Center of New Jersey)

Repertory & Conditioning:
Darwin Black (Dancer, TU Dance and NJDTE Alumnus)

Dance History:
Dr. Charmaine Warren, Ph.D.

For more information about the NJDTE Summer Intensive, click here.

The NJDTE Young Dancers Program returns for a third summer and brings world-renowned faculty to inspire talented, aspiring dancers ages 7-12 in Cranford, NJ.

The six-day program, held July 7-18, focuses on ballet and modern techniques and repertoire, and includes an introduction to musical theatre, dance history, yoga and Pilates with renowned NJDTE faculty.


NJDTE SUMMER YDP FACULTY

Lisa Rumbauskas (NJDTE YDP Director) received a BFA in Dance from NYU's Tisch School of the Arts and is an NJDTE alumna. Rumbauskas has worked with and performed works by Mark Morris, Ann Reinking, Sean Curran, Gus Solomons Jr. and Ronald K. Brown, among others. She has also toured around the country with various Broadway productions, including Swing! and has danced with the Metropolitan Opera Ballet. Rumbauskas is also an American Ballet Theatre Certified Teacher.

Belinda McGuire (Founder, Belinda McGuire Dance Projects & Limón Dance Company) graduated from The Juilliard School and is a recipient of the Bessie Schönberg Residency at the Yard. She has danced with the José Limón Dance Company and Doug Varone and Dancers, among others, and presents solo work through Belinda McGuire Dance Projects.

For more information about NJDTE's Young Dancers Program, click here.

"There comes a point where dancers have done all the summer programs, and they really need something different and more challenging, with improvisational and collaborative skills."
 - Alexandra Wells, Concept & Artistic Director, MIP & Pre-MIP



The Pre-Movement Invention Project 2014 (Pre-MIP) starts in just 4 days! We are excited to welcome our collaborators and dancers to this innovative program, held at DANY Studios in New York City from July 7-18.

The Pre-MIP NYC 2014 Summer Program, now in its fifth year, is a two-week introduction to the creative process and improvisational skills for advanced dancers ages 16 to 18. Each day begins with a Ballet class followed by pointe work for women and men’s work. The morning then concludes with Introduction to Improvisation. After lunch, dancers have Contemporary Technique followed by a Collaboration/Creative Process class.

PRE-MIP DIRECTORS
Alexandra Wells (Concept & Artistic Director)
Nancy Turano (New Jersey Dance Theatre Ensemble, Artistic Director)

PRE-MIP 2014 COLLABORATORS
RETURNING PRE-MIP COLLABORATORS

Francois Perron (French Academie of Ballet, Founder & Artistic Director) graduated from the Paris Opera Ballet School, and has danced with Maurice Béjart, New York City Ballet, American Ballet Theatre and Joffrey Ballet, among many others. An ABT® Certified Teacher, Perron has taught worldwide and is on faculty at The Juilliard School. This year, he will be featured as the director of a New York City dance school in the new reality series Big Apple Ballet.

Gregory Dolbashian (The Dash Ensemble, Artistic Director & The Playground, Co-Founder & Artistic Director) graduated cum laude from SUNY Purchase Conservatory. He is a recipient of the Bessie Schonberg Residency at the Yard and won the Hubbard Street 2 International Choreographic Competition. Dolbashian's work has been commissioned by numerous companies and schools around the country, including Atlanta Ballet.

Ana-Maria Lucaciu (Assistant to Alexander Ekman) graduated from the National Ballet School of Canada and has a BFA in dance from Empire State College. She has danced with Canada's National Ballet, the Royal Danish Ballet and Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet, along with other international companies, and was the rehearsal director for Gallim Dance. Photo by Jubal Battisti.

David Norsworthy (FRESH Dance Intensive and TOES for Dance, Founder and Artistic Director) graduated from The Juilliard School. He has performed nationally and internationally with Camille A. Brown and Dancers, Canadian Contemporary Dance Theatre and Dancenorth (Melbourne), among others. His choreography has been presented in New York at the Wave Rising Series as well as internationally at ArtPowersArusha (Tanzania).

For more information, please click here or email [email protected].