FALLING Back Into Routine With NJDTE Faculty: How NJDTE Faculty have adjusted to their “New Normal”

By Kaitlyn Esposito

The feeling of fall is in the air and for NJDTE that means dancers are back in the studios. After a summer of successful programming, NJDTE has found its “new normal” allowing dancers and faculty to return to doing what they love. Looking towards the Fall season, we wanted to check in with NJDTE Faculty to understand their “new normal” and get advice to pass along to dancers and the NJDTE community.

NICOLE VON ARX: NJDTE GUEST ARTIST & FACULTY

​During the past 6 months, Nicole has taught over 300 classes on Zoom. It might sound a lot, but seeing incredible dancers from around the world pop up on her screen made her world so much better. She feels like she had to reinvent myself completely in order to survive and give as much attention to her students so they feel motivated too. 

​Nicole shares that she had a great time teaching at NJDTE this summer and is looking forward to seeing familiar faces and meeting new ones. She met Nancy Turano which she was studying at The Ailey School from 2008-2011. Nicole comments, “NJDTE trains wonderful artists from the ground up” and that “Nancy is an incredible teacher who truly cares about her students.” She believes that if you have a great leader, their qualities will trickle down to the rest of the team, staff and students. She looks forward to being part of the faculty this fall.

"If you have a great leader, their qualities will trickle down to the rest of the team, staff and students."

During the time, Nicole advises, “Keep your head high. Always. There are bad days but there are also good days. Keep researching even if it’s hard. Be like a sponge. Know your limits and see how to work with them. You’ll always learn something new.” Her favorite inspirational quote is, "Life is a tragedy when seen in close-up, but a comedy in long-shot” by Charlie Chaplin as it reassures her that there is some light at the end of the tunnel.

Nicole was born in England and raised in both Switzerland and Hong Kong, and is a freelance dancer and choreographer based between Brooklyn and Geneva (Switzerland). She studied at The Ailey School and San Francisco Conservatory of Dance and her performance career led her to work with Jasmin Vardimon, Carte Blanche, Company XIV, Bryan Arias Company and Loni Landon Dance Projects. As a choreographer, she was invited to present her work in Europe at the BFM, TanzFest Winterthur 2018, La Fête de la Musique on the stage of l’ADC, and the Flux in Switzerland, and at Reykjavík Culture Night in Iceland.

In the US, her choreography appeared at the Center for Performance Research (CPR), the Museum of Moving Image, Judson Church, The Wild Project, The 14th Street Y, the Ailey Citigroup Theatre and Sam Houston State University. She was awarded the 2018 STUFFED summer residency at Judson Church and the 2017 Dance Gallery Festival Level UP program. Nicole now creates work under the name NVA & Guests and teaches pop up dance classes on the roof of the Ace Hotel in New York.
 
Visit www.nvonarx.com for more information.

ALEXANDRA DALLI: NJDTE ALUMNA & FACULTY

Alexandra trained at NJDTE from 2010 to 2014 and is now part of NJDTE’s Faculty as a ballet teacher and Pilates instructor. Through teaching at NJDTE the Fall, she looks forward to seeing all of the student’s smiling faces. She feels that a new season is like a fresh start and that she is excited to see what her and her dancers can accomplish this season.

As a teacher, Alex has stayed motivated by connecting to the dance community on both a large and small scale. On a larger scale, the number of classes and resources teachers and dance companies have been able to provide to keep dancers moving and learning has amazed her. She believes COVID has proven to everyone how valuable the arts are and how resilient the dance community is.

On a smaller scale, having the opportunity to teach current, old, and new students weekly via the Zoom classes NJDTE offered was a huge motivation for her in the spring and summer. If there were no students, Alex says that she could not call herself a teacher and she is so grateful she had the opportunity to continue to do what she loves even during quarantine.

Alex shares that NJDTE’s prioritization of true technique paired with a holistic approach to dance education is what sets this organization apart from other dance training programs in New Jersey. She comments, “as an alumni, I have been amazed at the different paths my peers have chosen and succeeded in both in and out of the dance studio. I have seen firsthand how building a strong base for dancers helps them develop as not only artists, but as people. I truly believe every experience had in the dance studio can be transferred to life skills outside the dance studio and NJDTE excels at producing strong, intelligent dancers. By creating space for dancers to investigate and experience all facets of dance performance and dance creation, NJDTE gives dancers the tools to make decisions and take ownership of their experience. Whether they move on to become, dancers, choreographers, teachers, producers, or anything else under the sun, students of NJDTE are more confident and successful because they have already been exposed to a professional setting and the expectations and experiences associated with it.”

"NJDTE gives dancers the tools to make decisions and take ownership of their experience."

​During this time, Alex’s advice to dancers is to just keep showing up and doing your best. While these are definitely not “normal” times, she believes the only thing 100% in your control is how you react, adapt, and overcome. She recommends to set an intention or a goal each day and strive to reach it no matter how small or big, and to be kind to others and most importantly be kind to yourself. Her favorite inspirational quote is one that was given to her by NJDTE. As a graduation present, all of the seniors received a paperweight shaped like star with the words “Excellence is a habit” engraved into it. She loves this quote so much this paperweight has traveled with her and always sat next to my makeup mirror so she could look at it while getting ready in the morning. 

It reminds her natural talent is great, but success is truly dependent on your choices and actions to work hard towards your dreams and goals.

"The only thing 100% in your control is how you react,
​adapt, and overcome."

Alexandra Dalli (BFA, NCPT) is originally from Cranford, New Jersey. She began her dance training at the age of three at the Westfield School of Dance and continued at the New Jersey Dance Theatre Ensemble while participating in Cranford High School’s Dance Academy. At NJDTE, Dalli performed works by Sidra Bell, Adam Barruch, Bradley Shelver, and Nancy Turano. Over the years, she has studied at several summer and winter intensive programs including American Ballet Theater’s Collegiate Summer Intensive, Pre-Movement Invention Project, Joffrey Ballet School’s summer intensive, and 10 Hairy Legs winter and summer intensives. She graduated cum laude in 2018 from Rutgers University, Mason Gross School of the Arts with a BFA in Dance. At Rutgers she was fortunate enough to perform works by Brian Brooks, Chien-Ying Wang, and Keith Thompson. During her time at Rutgers she completed the Polestar Pilates 450-hour Teacher Training Program and had the opportunity to complete an internship at Polestar Pilates España in Madrid, Spain. She was certified through the Pilates Method Alliance in 2017. Currently, Alexandra assists Polestar Pilates’ NYC Comprehensive Teacher Training as a Mentor-in-Training, teaches group and private Pilates to all ages, and is excited for another year as a faculty member teaching ballet at NJDTE.
 
In addition to teaching ballet, Alex is available for private Pilates lessons on the apparatus at NJDTE. For anyone (dancers or parents) who is looking to get stronger, prevent injury, work on alignment, or simply be introduced to Pilates she would love to help!
 
Contact info@njdte.org or visit www.njdte.org for more information.