Adventures Abroad for Students, Teachers and Other Dance Lovers
Do you want an international dance adventure? To study and/or work at a renowned dance institution overseas? To explore another dance style? Dance Around, Inc., can help you.
Melis Varban, founder of Dance Around
Drawing upon knowledge of her family's tourism business, her dance training and her studies in international relations, Melis Varban founded Dance Around, Inc., in 2005. It is one-of-a-kind. Varban custom designs and implements cultural, educational and professional programs for dance students, teachers and dance devotees. The workshop, apprenticeship and tour programs can contribute to the technical and artistic development of students as well as promote the careers of young aspiring professionals. Teachers can deepen their pedagogical understanding, and dance-lovers can broaden their experience.
Fluent in English, Russian, French, Turkish, German, Spanish and Hungarian languages of the countries in which she studied, danced or helped coordinate ballet company tours Varban is especially qualified to direct Dance Around. She holds a B.A. in International Relations from Towson University in Maryland and an M.A. in European Union Studies from Galatasaray University in Istanbul, Turkey, and the Université Panthéon-Assas-Paris II, France. Varban has studied ballet and performed in the U.S. and Russia, served as ballet mistress and facilitated dance tours for the Bolshoi Ballet and Béjart Ballet among others. Dance Around represents some Kirov Ballet dancers.
Melis Varban and Eliza Minden at the Mariinsky Theatre' Tsar's Box
Dance Around's partner educational institutions abroad host workshop courses that take place throughout the year and last up to four weeks. Students train with world-renowned teachers, enjoy the quality and individual attention of an exclusive course and establish ties with members of the host institution. Students perform at workshop showcase performances and receive certificates of participation.
Apprenticeships in major dance companies abroad offer the opportunity to train and rehearse with famous teachers as well as to dance alongside current stars. The artistic director of the company sponsoring the apprenticeship selects applicants based on the information Varban provides. Students are said to have a 90% chance of being selected due to Dance Around's special relationship with its partners.
The apprenticeship program gives young dancers a better understanding of professional life and offers an opportunity for academy graduates who do not immediately join a company. Apprentices develop new repertoire and strategic ties with choreographers and artistic directors.
DA participants at the Leonid Yakobsen School of Ballet and Theater
Dance Around organizes special trips to the world's major and most popular ballet centers. Participants visit charming cities, experience a different culture, attend outstanding performances, enjoy private "behind-the-scenes" activities such as backstage tours of legendary opera houses and have encounters and interviews with ballet luminaries. For example, the St. Petersburg Tour to the Mariinsky Theatre 7th International Ballet Festival included a special visit to the Vaganova Ballet Academy, discovery of Mariinsky Theatre backstage life, meeting the stars of the Kirov Ballet and attending performances.
Eliza Minden, President of Gaynor Minden and author of The Ballet Companion, learned about Dance Around when she met Varban in Washington, D.C. during the Kirov Ballet's 2007 visit. Minden said, "I was cautious at first, but it was the perfect trip to do with my mother who introduced me to ballet. There were other mother-daughter pairs and a newlywed couple. Some teenagers came with their mothers, one with a grandmother. As a ballet buff, it was extraordinary to attend performances at the Mariinsky Theatre and to see dancers take class there. As for tourism, we had a superb guide and dedicated bus driver to show us the city's magnificence. Normally I find my own way, but I couldn't have done as much on my own. The meals were good and in wonderful settings -- palaces and historic restaurants. The accommodations were very comfortable and convenient. Melis provided insider access and beautifully orchestrated the tour."
DA participants after visit to Vaganova Ballet Academy
Associate Dean of The Hartt School and former principal with the Pennsylvania Ballet, Hilda Morales recalls: "I loved how Melis combined a lot of sightseeing and a lot of ballet-related activities. The program was most informative. It's invaluable to have someone who speaks Russian and knows the ins and outs of the Kirov and the city. I learned a great deal about the country, its history. It was wonderful to see the Kirov at the Mariinsky Theatre even though it's old (it opened in 1860), not comfortable for the audience with poor sightlines and crowded seat arrangements." Morales hopes to visit the new theatre in St. Petersburg that is now being built. She would have liked to stay longer and have more time to talk with teachers about ballet pedagogy.
About her Dance Around experience, Rebecca Friedman, a junior at Goucher College who is double- majoring in dance and biology, said, "It proved to be more than I could have ever wished for. As a dancer, the insider accesses to the Kirov dancers, which Melis Varban provided, and attending ballets in the glorious Mariinsky Theater, were completely thrilling to me. My favorite part of the trip was getting to watch company class and rehearsal at the Mariinsky. This experience surpassed all of my expectations and left me with unforgettable memories that I will cherish for the rest of my life. I know that dance will remain an integral part of my life forever, whether or not I dance professionally, become a dance teacher, or fulfill a career in biology."
DA participants with Bolshoi Ballet soloist Natalia Osipova
"The Royal Ballet Experience" in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was another type of Dance Around program. Offered in collaboration with Dance Affiliates, a rich palette of dance activity included ballet classes with Royal Ballet teachers, admittance to general rehearsals, invitations to take company class, meet and greet sessions with the artists, pre-performance talks, a teacher's seminar and a special "Pointe Shoe Fitting" workshop led by Gaynor Minden staff, as well as Royal Ballet performances of "Romeo and Juliet" and "Swan Lake."
Dance Around has served 150 students, 20-25 teachers and more than 50 other dance enthusiasts. Program destinations can include Argentina with Julio Bocca's Ballet Argentino, Austria with the Vienna State Opera Ballet and School, England with the English National Ballet School and Central School of Ballet, Hungary with the Hungarian National Ballet and the Hungarian Dance Academy, Russia with the Kirov Ballet and the Vaganova Ballet Academy, and Spain with Compañia de Danza Antonio Najarro.
Varban explains, "I established contact with the institutions in the Dance Around network mostly by getting back in touch with the people that I had met back when I was an active and enthusiastic dance student and an aspiring dancer. I believe there are many students and teachers out there who would like to study/work abroad, but do not know how to go about this, or simply, do not want to take the risk." Dance Around plans every aspect of the programs abroad: visa, transportation, accommodation, meals, insurance, local assistance, daily training activities, sightseeing and cultural activities led by a representative of Dance Around who has relevant cultural and linguistic knowledge.
DA participants in class with the Royal Ballet
So, if you would like a special program to meet your needs, contact Melis Varban, President, 410-753-2503.
www.dancearound.org.