ABT's Summer Intensives
Nancy Raffa, formerly with American Ballet Theatre, is the new Director of ABT's Summer Intensives. Raffa, a former pupil of Gabriella Darvash, was the first female and youngest winner of the Prix de Lausanne's Gold Medal at its 1980 competition in Switzerland. Subsequently, she performed in several companies including Makarova and Company on Broadway, and became a principal at Ballet de Santiago, Ballet National Française de Nancy and Miami City Ballet.
On a chilly February Sunday at ABT's studios in New York City, 97 teen-aged male and female students gathered to take Raffa's class as audition for placement in one of the various summer programs that ABT offers. "I wanted to make a warm and welcoming atmosphere," she said as the class began. Raffa demonstrated what she wanted from barre to closing pointe work with remarkable clarity, repeating until she was sure the young dancers understood the exercises and combinations.
Raffa, who oversees ABT's New York Summer Intensive, as well as its five satellite programs in Michigan, Alabama, Texas, California and Bermuda, as well as the cross-country national audition tour, made sure everyone would be seen during the 3-hour class.
Most auditioning students had come from near-by states, and showed silent concentration as Raffa and Franco De Vita, principal of ABT's Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School scored their individual performances after each combination. Of the 97 students, 65 gained entrance to ABT's Collegiate Summer Intensive to be held in New York, May 29-June 15.
Other cross-country intensive sites are: New York, June 18-July 27 for ages 12-22, including special advanced men's division; Michigan, June 25- July 20 for ages 12-18; Alabama, June 24-July14 for ages 12-18; Texas, July 9-August 3, for ages 12-18; and California, July 30-August 17 for ages 12-18. The classes are taught on several levels by members of the ABT team. In addition to technique classes, the intensive program includes many subjects from history, music, acting for dancers, pointe, variations and a number of other dancer-related subjects.
For more information contact: www.abt.org.