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Summer Intensive Tips From Ballet Austin

April 2, 2014 by 4dancers

Summer intensives are all about learning and growing as a dancer. The best of them challenge you, shape you and open your eyes to different things in the world of dance. Everyone wants the time they spend at a summer intensive to really count, but how do you go about getting the most out of your time there?

We reached out to William Piner from Ballet Austin to see if he could share some tips for success. Mr. Piner is the Director at the Ballet Austin Academy, and he was happy to share these five points to keep in mind for your next summer intensive..

SM-with-dancer
Stephen Mills, Ballet Austin’s artistic director working with a student in class

1.       Don’t worry about your level placement. Usually the directors know what they’re doing and place you in a level where they think you will get the best results and make the most progress in their program.

2.       Stay focused on your classwork and try to absorb as many new concepts as you can from your teachers.

3.       Be open to new ideas and perspectives and try to see how they can augment your home studio’s curriculum.

4.       Journal. It’s the best way to remember your time away and retain the information/corrections you received in class when you return home. It’s also a great way to remember all the new friends and fun times you had!

5.       Be open to new styles of movement and be willing to give them a try. You may discover something about yourself, including a new love for a different way of moving.

Have any good summer intensive tips to share? Feel free to post them here!

Filed Under: Summer Intensives Tagged With: ballet austin, summer intensive tips, summer intensives

10 Questions With…Beth Terwilleger

February 2, 2011 by 4dancers

Beth Terwilleger

Today we have with us  Beth Terwilleger from Ballet Austin….

1.   How did you become involved with dance?

When I was growing up my family used to put on music and dance around the house. I always loved dancing, and when my grandfather showed me my first ballet video I knew that this was the kind of dance I wanted to do. My mom signed me up for classes and I immediately fell in love.

2. What are you currently doing in the field?

I am currently a ballet dancer with Ballet Austin.

3. Would you share a special moment from your career with readers?

There are so many special moments. I remember the moment I realized I could move, like really dance. I had always been a bit typecast at the school I grew up in as being very much a ballerina and not a contemporary dancer. Then, during my second apprentice year at Ballet Austin I was in a rehearsal for our end of the year show doing a piece set to salsa music and I realized “this feel great!” Really letting go and moving in all kinds of new different ways was really what I wanted dance to be for me. I was told that the way I moved in this show and the fact that I did have this realization was the reason I was hired into the company. It was major turning point for me. [Read more…]

Filed Under: 10 Questions With..., 4dancers, 4teachers Tagged With: ballet austin, Beth Terwilleger, dance, dancer

10 Questions With…Ashley Gilfix

October 26, 2010 by 4dancers

Welcome back to our “10 Questions With…” series where today we are featuring dancer Ashley Gilfix from Ballet Austin…

1. How did you become involved with dance?

My mom put me in ballet when I was 4 years old, and dance has been a part of my life ever since.

Ashley Gilfix, photo by George Brainard

2. What are you currently doing in the field?

I am currently in my 9th season as a company dancer with Ballet Austin.  I have been fortunate to be a part of the creative process of  innovative new works by director, Stephen Mills, and many other choreographers who are making waves in the dance world right now.  At Ballet Austin, we are constantly pushing the envelope, yet keeping the old traditions alive.  Last season, I danced Swan Lake and Coppellia, and also premiered several new contemporary works by Mills, and Dominic Walsh.  I feel so lucky to be a part of a company that performs such a broad repertoire of both classical and contemporary ballets.   

3. Would you share a special moment or two from your career?

One of my most treasured experiences onstage was dancing Don Quixote with partner, Jim Stein in his farewell performance.  It was my first “Kitri” and his last “Basilio”.  I can still remember the electricity in the air that night.  There were so many emotions.  It was such a gift to share his last performance with him in that way, holding his hand while he took his last bow.  3 other colleagues retired that weekend.  It was bittersweet.  That ballet will always be sentimental for me.

4. What is the best advice you have ever received regarding dance?

My teacher always used metaphors to communicate corrections and words of wisdom.  One of the things she often told us was, “You cannot paint with just one color.  You need a palette with all the colors of the rainbow.”  She was telling us that a good dancer needs to be versatile, to not only dance one way all the time, to be open to new ideas, and become good at everything.   

5. Do you have any advice for those who would like to dance professionally?

Find a good school and teachers who can provide well-rounded pre-professional training in classical ballet and modern dance.  Sadly, many aspiring dancers find out too late that their training has not prepared them for a professional career.  If you are not training 5 or 6 days a week, it is probably not enough.  Also, supplementing your classes with private lessons can help you improve at a faster rate. And, for those who have gotten a late start or are not quite ready to be a professional by the end of high school, attending a university with a solid dance program can be an excellent option.     

 

Photo by Anne Marie Bloodgood

6. What has been your biggest challenge in dance?

My biggest challenge has been working with an imperfect facility.  I was not blessed with 180 degree turn out or much flexibility in my hip sockets and am constantly fighting for higher extensions and to appear more turned out than I actually am.  In dance, it is a constant battle against nature.  I am naturally a slow, fluid mover, so brisk movements and jumping have always felt uncomfortable for me.  I have had to work very hard to become a faster mover, and to be more dynamic and versatile.  I’m always looking for areas where I am weak, so that I can try to become a more balanced dancer.  It is important to me to be able to do everything well, rather than being excellent at just one thing that comes naturally.

7. What is it that you love so much about ballet?

I love ballet because it is beautiful.  I love the aesthetic and I love music.  I love performing.  It is such a gift to be able to express myself through dance.  It is indescribable.

I also really love the quest for perfection, and constantly being challenged and pushed to the next level.  You can never get bored because there is always that next hurdle ahead.  It is not just the physical challenges, but the emotional and artistic ones too, especially when you are portraying a character and/or communicating a specific idea or message to the audience.  There is hardly a dull moment because there is so much change.  You are constantly rehearsing new ballets, and working with different choreographers.  Even when we repeat old ballets, it is a unique experience.  I’m always learning new things and looking at the world from different perspectives.  It is such an interesting life.

8. Do you have a special routine that you go through before a performance, or is each one different?

There is usually an order in which I do things that I establish for each production.  Depending on the show, I will usually eat a certain way, and do specific cross-training exercises, and do my hair and make-up in a certain order.  If there is difficult partnering, or particular steps in the piece that stress me out, I usually like to rehearse them onstage either right after class, or right before curtain.  I set a routine with my partner and we work on those steps before every performance.  All that said, I am really not superstitious. 

 

Photo by Tony Spielberg

9. Where you do think dance is headed?

I think dance is continuing to move away from tradition.  Many choreographers are re-working the classics or abandoning them altogether, and trying to please a younger audience.  I have seen a lot of dance that is more of a theatrical or “performance-art” type of experience.  Dance has always transported its viewers, but now it is based less on storytelling and more on making impressions.  It is becoming a multidimensional, mixed-media experience that is reflective of the technological era we live in.  Dance is also moving toward a more raw emotional experience, not just capturing classical beauty and perfection, but exposing pain and uncertainty and the beauty that can be found in unconventional places.

10. What is next for you?

I am very excited about graduating from St. Edward’s University in August of 2011!  It has been extremely challenging to split my time between my personal life, dancing, and school.  I look forward to being able to spend more time with my husband, Mike, and focusing more energy on growing as an artist.  I am also interested in volunteering around Austin, and becoming certified in Pilates.

BIO: Ashley Lynn Gilfix is a native of the Chicago area, where she received her formal training from Ms. Sherry Moray.  Ms. Gilfix performed with the Alabama Ballet prior to joining Ballet Austin in 2002.  During her eight seasons with the company, Ashley has had the honor of performing in many world premieres by Stephen Mills, and touring with the company to Italy, Slovenia, The Joyce Theater, and The Kennedy Center, where she was featured in Balanchine’s Episodes in collaboration with The Suzanne Farrell Ballet.  Ms. Gilfix has also danced a variety of roles by such choreographers as Sidra Bell, Thang Dao, Thaddeus Davis, Nicolo Fonte, Gina Patterson, Dwight Rhoden, Amy Seiwart, Twyla Tharp, Michelle Thompson, Septime Webre, and Dominic Walsh, and recently appeared as a guest artist with Dominic Walsh Dance Theatre, and the Califa Arts Collaborative.  Ashley has especially enjoyed dancing the roles of Aurora in Sleeping Beauty, Kitri in Don Quixote, Ophelia in Hamlet, Cinderella, Odette in Swan Lake, and Swanhilda in Coppelia.  Ashley was honored to receive a 2009 Austin Critic’s Table Award for Outstanding Dancer for her performance in Balanchine’s Episodes, Mills’ Hamlet, and Fonte’s Left Unsaid.  Ms. Gilfix is currently pursuing a degree in Dance and The Humanities from St. Edward’s University.

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Filed Under: 10 Questions With..., 4dancers, 4teachers, Editorial, Studios Tagged With: ashley gilfix, Ballet, ballet austin, coppellia, dancer, dominic walsh, don quixote, jim stein, stephen mills, swan lake

Ballet Austin Presents Season Opener at the Long Center: Carmina Burana and Kai

September 23, 2010 by 4dancers

This is a courtesy posting:

Collaboration with Conspirare, Austin Symphony Marks Stephen Mills’ 10th Year

WHO:             Ballet Austin

                                                Carmina Burana choreography by Stephen Mills

                                                Carmina Burana music by Carl Orff

                                                Carmina Burana accompaniment by Conspirare 

                                                            and The Austin Symphony Orchestra

                                                Kai choreography by Stephen Mills

                                                Kai music by John Cage

WHAT:                      Season Opener: Carmina Burana and Kai

WHEN:                      September 24 & 25 at 8 p.m., September 26 at 3 p.m.

WHERE:        The Long Center for the Performing Arts, Michael & Susan Dell Hall

                                                701 W. Riverside Dr.

TICKETS:     $27-77, by calling 512.476.2163 or visit www.balletaustin.org

AUSTIN, Texas—To open its 2010/11 Season, Ballet Austin pairs two of their most inspiring and powerful dances—Carmina Burana and Kai—showcasing the magnificent choreography of Stephen Mills to celebrate his 10th year as artistic director. Mills was chosen as the company’s artistic leader in 2000 and has led Ballet Austin to critical and popular acclaim across central Texas and nationally. 

In a rare dance/choral/symphonic performance, audiences can experience the iconic grandeur of Carmina Burana with music performed live by more than 150 choral singers (standing behind the dancers on stage) from the Grammy®-nominated choir Conspirare as led by Craig Hella Johnson and the Austin Symphony Orchestra as led by conductor Peter Bay. Mills’ choreographic interpretation of this beloved opus is a visually and aurally textured dance work set to the haunting rhythms of Carl Orff’s 1936 masterpiece.

Orff’s mighty score masterfully captures the emotion of artistic repression and the spirit of liberation that comes from breaking free. Inspired by the forbidden desires of 13th century European monks, Carmina Burana is based on a manuscript of 254 poems and dramatic texts not discovered until 1803, which revealed secret longings of lust and passion.

Created by Mills in 2006 for the company’s 50th anniversary season, Kai (meaning water) is set to the rhythmically exotic music of pioneering composer John Cage. Inspired by the undulating waters of the South Pacific and accompanied by Cage’s cutting edge music, Kai follows a mysterious couple and a tribe of people during a celebration. Cage was renowned for his innovative compositions such as for the “prepared piano” – a piano with apparatuses attached to the strings to create percussive sounds instead of notes when the hammers strike.

Mills’ First 10 Years

In his first decade as artistic director, Mills has created 10 full evening productions: Light/The Holocaust & Humanity Project, Cult of Color: Call to Color, Truth and Beauty/The Bach Project, Touch, Hamlet, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Cinderella, Romeo and Juliet, The Taming of the Shrew  (commissioned by The Kennedy Center), and The Nutcracker. In that same time, he has created 15 “mixed rep” dance works and has directed 12 company premieres of acquisitions by internationally noted choreographers including George Balanchine and Twyla Tharp. Mills has had 12 of his own works licensed to national and international companies, launched the New American Talent/Dance biennial national choreographic competition, and has been profiled and reviewed in publications such as Art in America, The New York Times, The Washington Post, Dance Magazine, Pointe Magazine and Dance International.

STEPHEN MILLS, ARTISTIC DIRECTOR 

Mills has created more than 40 works for companies in the United States and abroad. His ballets are in the repertories of such companies as The Atlanta Ballet, Washington Ballet, Cuballet in Havana, Cuba, BalletMet Columbus, The DaytonBallet, The Sarasota Ballet of Florida, Ballet Pacifica, Dallas Black Dance Theater, The Louisville Ballet, The Nashville Ballet, Fort Worth/Dallas Ballet and Kaleidoscope. He has worked in collaboration with such luminaries as the eight-time Grammy® Award-winning band, Asleep at the Wheel, and Shawn Colvin. In addition to his work as a choreographer, Mr. Mills is committed as a master teacher to developing dancers. He has been a teacher at many pre-professional academies including Goucher College; Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing Arts in Dallas; The Virginia School of the Arts; The New Orleans Center for the Creative Arts; Stephens College and Point Park College in Pittsburgh. Mr. Mills also serves on the Board of Trustees of the national dance service organization, Dance USA. The 2010/11 Season marks Mr. Mills’ 10th year as artistic director.

ABOUT BALLET AUSTIN

As distinctive and dynamic as the city it calls home, Ballet Austin welcomes audiences near and far to participate in its “classically innovative” vision for the democratization of dance. With a rich history spanning five decades, acclaimed productions, and one of the nation’s largest classical ballet academies, the organization is poised for an even greater future. From their new home at the Butler Dance Education Center and Community School in downtown Austin, Ballet Austin and artistic director Stephen Mills actively engage the community, dancers, and audiences alike. The New York Times proclaims Ballet Austin “a company with big ambitions” originating work that is “absorbing.” 

WEB:              www.balletaustin.org

Production Sponsors               W Austin, AT&T, GreenbergTraurig, and Andrew Yates Photography

Season Underwriter                Austin Ventures

Academy Underwriter                        Reavis Rehab and Wellness Center, Inc.

Education Underwriter           JPMorgan Chase Bank

Season Sponsors                     Vintage IT, Ampersand Agency, Reavis Rehab, Swizzle

Media Sponsors                                  KVUE, Austin American-Statesman, MAJIC 95.5

This project is funded in part by the City of Austin through the Cultural Arts Division and by a grant from the Texas Commission on the Arts.

Filed Under: Editorial, Organizations Tagged With: ballet austin, stephen mills

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