trudl zipper dance institute

Your Support Matters

Dancers received over $196,000 in scholarships in the 2022–23 school year. New this year is the Margaret K. Turner Scholarship, which supports a remarkable graduating senior as they plan for a professional career.

The Trudl Zipper Dance Institute honors and extends the great traditions of ballet, modern, and tap dance, forming young people as collaborative agents who will take the art of dance forward. From beginners starting in Youth Dance to aspiring professionals in the Dance Academy, performers of all levels receive sequential training in a cohesive curriculum that emphasizes the joy of dance through artistic and technical accomplishment.

celebrating silas farley

This spring, Colburn said farewell to the remarkable Dean of the Trudl Zipper Dance Institute, Silas Farley. As a dancer, choreographer, and educator, his influence on faculty, students, and programs will remain evident for years to come. Dean Farley brought a spirit of collaboration, a focus on great traditions of dance, and a desire to create, which will be long felt at Colburn.

Collaboration

Over the course of this year, Colburn dancers joined forces with student musicians from the Conservatory, Community School of Performing Arts, and Music Academy for a season of dynamic performances, including Joy, Counterpointe, and the Collaboration Concert.

Tradition

Teaching the finer points of technique advances students’ skills. Directing them through choreographed pieces instructs on how to tell stories through movement. Farley also emphasized the intrinsic worth of understanding the historical significance of pieces and artists. Studying the people who influenced dance and the cultural impact of performances offers students a deeper understanding through contextualization.

Original Works

During his tenure at Trudl Zipper Dance Institute, Farley choreographed new works for Colburn students to music by Tchaikovsky, Barber, Orff, Praetorius, Billy Strayhorn, and Shelley Washington, as well as works for New York City Ballet, Houston Ballet, and the Washington Ballet.

Guest Artists Working with Students

A well-rounded performing arts education incorporates a variety of perspectives. Trudl Zipper Dance Institute students learned from visiting artists throughout the year. Guests included former Merce Cunningham dancer Silas Riener, who conducted a weeklong residency, teaching Cunningham technique and staging Cunningham repertory, including Cunningham’s Changing Steps and Scramble to both Dance Academy and Youth Dance students. In February, the Trudl Zipper Dance Institute welcomed master choreographer and teacher Alonzo King as part of Colburn’s Amplify Series as well as acclaimed choreographers Kyle Abraham and Joshua Beamish to lead master classes.

The Dance Academy’s performance of Antique Epigraphs was staged by former Colburn Dance Dean Jenifer Ringer during a fall residency, and later in the year the Trudl Zipper Dance Institute also hosted former New York City Ballet principal dancer Stephanie Saland—an original cast member of Antique Epigraphs—to guest teach and coach the work.

Student Spotlight

Michael Shavelle, Dance Academy

Seeking to explore his art form from a different perspective, Michael Shavelle challenged himself by assuming the creator role this season. The Dance Academy student participated in the fall semester’s Student Solo Showcase and the inaugural Student Choreography Workshop for the spring semester. These experiences offered a unique chance to inject more of his personal point of view into dance expressions. Shavelle choreographed an intricate solo for a fellow student to lively samba music.

“Choreography gives me a space to explore my artistry and individuality that regular ballet class does not. When I improvise movement or choreograph on myself, I enjoy searching for unique movement qualities that emphasize the things I love about dance, like fluidity in the arms, musicality, and sharp footwork.”

Student Success

Summer Intensives

Each year, ballet students from the Trudl Zipper Dance Institute are accepted to prestigious summer intensive programs in this country and in Europe, many on scholarships. For the summer of 2023, students were accepted to the following programs:

Alonzo King LINES Ballet

Ballet Austin Academy

Ballet West Academy

Boston Ballet School

Canada’s National Ballet School

Charlotte Ballet Academy

Cincinnati Ballet Academy

English National Ballet School

Houston Ballet Academy

Hubbard Street Dance Chicago

Joffrey Ballet School

Miami City Ballet School

Pacific Northwest Ballet School

Royal Danish Ballet School welcoming our new dean

Margaret Tracey

School of American Ballet

School of Nashville Ballet

School of Philadelphia Ballet

The Ailey School in NYC

The Royal Ballet School

This summer, Colburn welcomes international dance educator, former New York City Ballet principal, and former Director of Boston Ballet School Margaret Tracey as the next Dean of the Trudl Zipper Dance Institute. “I’m thrilled to join the Colburn School, and be part of a community and institution dedicated to the future of dance,” said Tracey. “It is a privilege to build upon the exceptional work of my predecessors, and help young dancers achieve their personal and artistic goals at an institution that empowers and gives voice to the next generation of artists.”