Rock School alumna - Beckanne Sisk, featured in The CW’s “Breaking Pointe”
Go behind the scenes of Ballet West this summer with “Breaking Pointe.” The six-part documentary takes viewers inside the Salt Lake City-based company, exposing the passion and pain of professional dancers. Rock School alumna & four year Rock Academics graduate, Beckanne Sisk, is featured in the series premièring Thursday, May 31st on The CW. After graduating from The Rock School, Sisk joined Ballet West II in 2010, joined Ballet West in 2011 and began dancing soloist & principal roles this year!
In interviews, Beckanne urges viewers to tune in to the mini-series. “Ballet isn’t appreciated the way it should be because people don’t understand it. The series will show how much we go through and how much we love it.” Beckanne touts, “it’s really entertaining – especially for dancers. They’ll be able to relate first-hand to everything that happens.”
The series portrays ballet dancers in a new light, as incredible athletes and artists. Unlike most dance shows on TV, this isn’t a competition. Instead it is a documentary about competition within Ballet West, closely following 10 dancers, including Beckanne. “Breaking Pointe” promises to be different, honest, and entertaining. The show is not just about dancers as dancers, it’s about dancers as people. Cameras will capture all of the beauty, pain, and drama as BBC Worldwide Productions follows the Ballet West dancers in the studio, on the stage, and out in the real world.
Tune in to The CW on Thursday, May 31st at 8pm to watch “Breaking Pointe” and see Beckanne Sisk on TV!
The Rock School Presents The 2012 Annual Showcase
Join us for an evening of extraordinary dance as The Rock School presents the annual showcase Baroque Dances on June 6th at 7pm. The Showcase is an opportunity to see all of the school’s dancers, creative movement to pre-professional. Mark your calendar, and join us for an evening of spectacular ballet and our new program Urban Dance / Extreme Movement!
The Rock School for Dance Education Is Holding 3rd Local Audition For Summer Ballet Intensive and/or Year-Round Programs
Due to popular demand, The Rock School for Dance Education is holding an unprecedented third local audition for The School’s summer and/or year-round program.
The internationally renowned Rock School has been attracting students worldwide since 1963. As one of the nation’s premiere institutions for classical ballet training, The Rock School maintains a year-round supervised residence program that appeals to dancers from around the world, provides a cutting-edge academic program for extremely focused dancers grades 7-12 and offers a variety of performance opportunities for all ages throughout the year.
The Rock School has placed dancers in every major ballet company in the United States. Rock School dancers have been recognized at a number of prestigious competitions including Youth America Grand Prix, the largest ballet competition in the world, where The School has won several Gold, Silver and Bronze medals as well as “Outstanding School” for a remarkable seven consecutive years!
The Rock School was recently featured in First Position, a new award-winning documentary in theaters May 2012 that follows young ballet dancers from all over the world as they compete for elite dance scholarships in Youth America Grand Prix. Two of the featured dancers were Rock School students- Michaela DePrince and Joan-Sebastian Zamora. Other (current) Rock School dancers appear in the film as well as the Directors, Bo and Stephanie Spassoff.
SUNDAY, JUNE 3, 2012
The Rock School for Dance Education
1101 South Broad Street at Washington Avenue, Philadelphia, PA
Free parking is available at the NW corner of Broad and Washington
1:00 - 2:45 PM ages 9-12 yrs
3:00 - 4:45 PM ages 13+
The Master/ Audition Class will include pointe work for those on pointe.
The fee is $30 and students will be notified immediately of acceptance.
Directors will acknowledge talented dancers with possible scholarship opportunity.
Optional tour of the building will be available.
Call 215-551-7010 for more information.
Sleeping Beauty Maho Mashimo to Awaken Bangkok Audiences
Rock School student Derek Dunn is briefly featured in “First Position,” a ballet documentary about Youth America Grand Prix that began filming in 2010.
Since then, Derek has continued training with The Rock School. Enjoy this video of Dunn performing at The Rock School in 2012.
Choreography by Ashley Canterna.
First Position opens this Friday May 11th, at The Ritz Five in Philadelphia! The Rock School is featured in this awe inspiring ballet documentary. Directed by Bess Kargman, First Position documents a year of the trials young ballet dancers face leading up to the largest student ballet competition in the world, Youth America Grand Prix. First Position won rave reviews at the Toronto Film Festival, Sundance, NYC Film Festival, San Francisco Doc Fest, The New York Times, and Dance Spirit Magazine.
Two of the featured dancers were Rock School students, although only one is identified as such. They are Michaela DePrince and Joan-Sebastian Zamora. Other Rock School dancers that flash by are Esteban Hernandez, Derek Dunn and Zhao Wan Ting. Bo and Stephanie Spassoff, Rock School Directors are also in the film.
You can watch Joan Sebastian Zamora and Michaela DePrince preparing for USA IBC 2010 here at The Rock School.
Joan Sebastian Zamora
Michaela DePrince
Other Rock School dancers featured also include:
Just in time for First Position to open on the big screen, Michaela DePrince was received well on the small screen as she danced on ABC’s Dancing With The Stars on April 24th.
Click Here to Watch Michaela DePrince on DWTS
Violette Verdy, The Rock School’s Artistic Advisor, looks stunning in this photo with Balanchine!Balanchine and the original cast of “Jewels”. Suzanne Farrell as “Diamonds”, Patricia McBride as “Rubies”, Mimi Paul and Violette Verdy as “Emeralds”.
The Rock School enjoyed having Gennadi Saveliev as a guest instructor last week. Mr. Saveliev taught a combined level master class, a men’s class, and coached our male students competing in this year’s YAGP finals coming up next week.
Born in Moscow, Russia, Gennadi Saveliev began his ballet studies at the Bolshoi Ballet School at the age of nine. At 18 he joined the Bolshoi Ballet Grigorovich Company where his repertoire included the Chinese Doll inThe Nutcracker, one of the four cavaliers in Raymonda and the pas de trios in Swan Lake. Saveliev has also danced with the Nevada Dance Theatre, Tulsa Ballet, Los Angeles Classical Ballet and the New Jersey Ballet. Saveliev won the Silver Medal at the 1996 New York International Ballet Competition and was a finalist at the Nagoya Ballet Competition in 1999.
Saveliev joined American Ballet Theatre as a member of the corps de ballet in January 1996. His repertoire with the Company includes the Bronze Idol, the Head Fakir and the Rajah in La Bayadère, Accordionist in The Bright Stream. the first movement in Bruch Violin Concerto No. 1, the Lead Mazurka/Czardas Dancer inCoppélia, Conrad, Ali, the slave and Lankendem in Le Corsaire, the pas de deux Diana and Acteon, a leading role in Diversion of Angels, Espada in Don Quixote, Demetrius in The Dream, Henry in Christopher Wheeldon’s VIII, the Pastor in Fall River Legend, the pas de deux Flames of Paris, Albrecht, Hilarion and the peasant pas de deux in Giselle, Gaston in Lady of the Camellias, Lescaut in Manon, Camille in The Merry Widow, the Nutcracker-Prince and the Cavalier in Kevin McKenzie’s The Nutcracker, the Painter in Offenbach in the Underworld, Prince Gremin in Onegin, Sergei in On the Dnieper, a Friend of the Family in Pillar of Fire, the Warrior Chieftain in Polovtsian Dances from Prince Igor, Beranger and the Lead Hungarian Dancer inRaymonda, Paris and Tybalt in Romeo and Juliet, Romeo in Romeo and Juliet (Romeo’s Farewell to Juliet), Prince Désiré and the Bluebird in The Sleeping Beauty, Prince Siegfried, Benno, von Rothbart (Act III) and the Lead Czardas Dancer in Swan Lake, Orion in Sylvia, Lucentio in The Taming of the Shrew, leading roles inBallet Imperial, The Brahms-Haydn Variations, In the Upper Room, The Leaves Are Fading, Les Sylphides, Symphonie Concertante, Theme and Variations and Without Words, as well as roles in Black Tuesday, Clear, The Garden of Villandry, HereAfter, Jabula, Overgrown Path, Petite Mort and Symphony in C. He created leading roles in Rabbit and Rogue and Seven Sonatas.
Saveliev is a member of Angel Corella and Friends and Stiefel and Stars touring companies and is also the founder and artistic director of Youth America Grand Prix, America’s first student ballet scholarship competition.
Saveliev was promoted to Soloist in August 2002.
Mr. Savaliev’s performances at American Ballet Theatre are sponsored by Brian and Darlene Heidtke.
Ashley Canterna was welcomed by The Rock School this week as a guest instructor. The photoset above is of Canterna instructing both a master class as well as a contemporary class.
ASHLEY CANTERNA
26 year old Ashley Canterna Hardy received her ballet training at the Kirov Academy of Ballet in Washington, DC on full scholarship. At 14, she was the winner of the junior division at the Youth America Grand Prix Ballet Competition. That same year, she represented the United States at the 2000 International Ballet Competition in Varna, Bulgaria winning the silver medal (the highest awarded) and the City of Varna Award. In 2002, she went on to win the title of “Miss Dance of America” and was honored as one of DANCE magazine’s “25 Dancers to Watch in 2002.” She received the Jury Award and performed in the televised Medalists Gala and Encore Gala at the 2002 USA International Ballet Competition in Jackson, Mississippi that same year. Ashley was one of the featured dancers in the documentary “Dancers,” highlighting the 2002 USAIBC. She has performed in numerous galas throughout the United States and abroad. Ashley was featured on the nationally televised “A Capitol 4th” with Kristin Chenoweth, appeared on “Star Search,” and was featured in the movie “Step Up.”
Most recently, Ashley has been a company member with “Rock the Ballet” performing at the Joyce Theater in New York and on their European tours.
She enjoys traveling as a guest artist, master teacher, choreographer and judge, or spending time with her students at the Edna Lee Dance Studio in Maryland.
Upcoming Events to Look Forward to at The Rock School!
With Springtime already here and Summer quickly approaching, The Rock School is preparing for so many exciting events. Here’s a look at some of the performances, and competitions happening in the upcoming months.
Youth America Grand Prix NYC Finals are just around the corner. YAGP in-studio previews are being held here at The Rock School!
Wednesday, April 18th, 6:00pm
Saturday, April 21st, 12:30-1:30pm
Studio A (5th Floor)
The previews are open to the public, so come show your support before our dancers compete in the YAGP Finals April 22nd- 26th!
On Saturday, April 21st, The Rock School Students will be performing at the 4life International Convention at the Philadelphia Convention Center. More information can be found on their website. http://freedom12.4life.com/
The Rock School’s 21st Annual Scholarship Benefit, ROCK IT TO THE MOON! is set for Friday May 4th and is being held at The Independence Seaport Museum at 6pm. The benefit performance will feature a unique collaboration between The Rock School and The Curtis Institute, now in its 4th year. A world-premiere ballet choreographed by Justin Allen, a Rock School faculty member and alumni, featuring Rock School students and set to an original score composed by The Curtis Institute’s Milton L. Rock Fellow, Katerina Kramarchuk and performed by Curtis Institute students. Tickets are still available and can be purchased online at http://therockschool.org/benefit_gala
On May 11th, The Rock School dancers will perform selected pieces from the hit Broadway play, Westside Story at The Mann Center for Performing Arts. All performances will be accompanied by The Curtis Symphony Orchestra. The Gateway to Europe concert is FREE, but does require reservations to be made in advance. Reservations can be made online at http://www.curtis.edu/performances/curtis-symphony-orchestra/
The Rock School dancers will return to The Mann Center May 19th to perform in this year’s Philadelphia on Parade. The performance highlights the diversity of world music with a line-up that includes classical, gospel, spoken word, jazz, rhythm & blues, funk, and rock, global dance ensembles, dance workshops, and a crafts marketplace. Admission is FREE with reservations made online at http://philadelphiaonparade2012.eventbrite.com/
Rock School Alumna Michaela DePrince featured in April’s Dance Spirit Magazine!
DePrince will also be featured in Teen Vogue and Marie Claire magazines!
Michaela began dancing at The Rock School when she was about 8 years old and won the Hope Award at YAGP when she was 10. She was awarded Grand Prix at the YAGP Philadelphia Regionals in 2009. The following year, Michaela was part of The Rock School’s Jackson 13, the most amount of students to be accepted to compete in USA IBC Jackson from any school or company in the world.
Michaela DePrince is featured as one of the main characters in the documentary First Position. Filmed in 2010, the critically acclaimed film is set to open in theaters throughout the U.S. in May. For more information on First Position visit www.balletdocumentary.com
2012 Haverford Exchange!
The Rock School students put on quite a performance at the Haverford School. The entire auditorium was impressed by the athleticism and skill exhibited by our dancers. After the performance, selected Haverford School students were paired off with Rock School students and spent the day in school together.
The following week The Rock School enjoyed their bi-annual exchange from The Haverford School. The visiting students certainly learned what it takes to be a ballet dancer. After class the students enjoyed a well deserved meal together in the R-Cafe. You can watch the boys refining their dance technique on our youtube channel. www.youtube.com/rockschooldance
Donations for Polina Kadiyska update: In lieu of flowers, The Rock School is collecting donations on behalf of The Kadiyska family at the front office window.
Any checks should be made payable to The Rock School for Dance Education, care of Kadiyska Family. Thank you.
Memorial Service for Polina Kadiyska update: Polina will be returning to Sofia, Bulgaria with her family. Her loved ones plan to hold a memorial service in her hometown.
In light of this loss, The Rock School encourages those who want to celebrate her life and support her family throughout the dance community by wearing purple, Polina’s favorite color, on Thursday, March 22nd.
If friends and supporters of Polina wish to send cards or gifts in celebration of Polina’s life, please send all items to The Rock School for Dance Education, located at 1101 S. Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA 19147. We have started a collection that will be sent to Polina’s family in Sofia.
