DFA students invited to dance in America

The invitations resulted from a visit by six guest teachers from the US who ran a two-week Winter Dance Intensive with DFA students in June-July 2011. The teachers – all LEAP (Liberal Education Arts Professionals) students on a Bachelor of Arts degree programme designed for current and former professional dancers – were inspired by the students’ talent, technique and commitment to dance. Three of the teachers, Alejandro Piris Niño, Olivia Ramsay and David Tamaki, will be hosting the students.

This kind of recognition is not only a compliment to DFA’s students, but it bears testament to the wonderful training they’re receiving from our very own staff of highly professional, committed teachers, without whom none of this would be possible. So, congratulations to the students as well as their teachers. Your success inspires the whole DFA family to jump a little higher, spin an extra pirouette and let the joy of dance lift our spirits to fly with yours. We’re behind you all the way.

The students
• Byron Klassen (20) – a DFA senior Bridging Programme student.
Byron will be spending two weeks immersed in dance, taking ballet classes at Cedar Lake Dance Company, as well as at other dance schools. A special highlight will be a workshop with Ohad Naharin, Artistic Director of Batsheva Dance Company (based in Tel Aviv, Israel). He’ll also be introduced to the Gyrotonic Expansion System – a unique system of equipment and exercise that incorporates movement principles from yoga, dance, gymnastics, swimming and tai-chi. This will be under the guidance of Alejandro Piris Niño, who is also a Gyrotonic certified instructor.

• Thembisa Selana (11) – a student on DFA’s Specialised Ballet Programme.
Thembisa will spend three weeks training with Olivia Ramsay at the Marin Ballet School in San Francisco. She has also been invited to take classes at the prestigious San Francisco Ballet School and will have private lessons with various master teachers around the Bay Area, including Kristine Elliott, head of dance at Stanford University and long-time friend and supporter of DFA. Thembisa will also have the chance to attend holiday performances, such as the ‘Nutcracker’, and will have some time to be a tourist as well.

• Veronique Reagon (14) and Robyn Fortune (12) – both students of Ingrid Carlson Ballet in association with DFA.
Veronique and Robyn will be hosted by David Tamaki and will attend ballet classes at the New Jersey School of Ballet, where David trained as a dancer and currently teaches. He says the girls demonstrated their strong training both in class and in performance and his invitation was inspired by their desire to excel. As they’ll be there over Christmas, they’ll have the chance to attend some holiday season performances, including New Jersey Ballet’s ‘Nutcracker’, which is in its 41st season and will be performed with a full orchestra. They’ll also have the chance to see New York City.

* Thanks to those who have raised sponsorship to make it possible for the students to benefit from this fantastic opportunity.