The Daily Princetonian
Thursday April 11, 2013
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PRINCETON UNIVERSITY BALLET Kelly Rafey shadows the company as they prepare for their upcoming production, ‘Spring Fling’
ALVINA JIAO :: STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER ASAWARI SODHI :: SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER PAGE DESIGN BY STAFF WRITER LIN KING
Kelly Rafey Contributor
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t’s company class on a Friday night, and Hagan Dance Studio in the Lewis Center is in a state of commotion. Dancers sprawl across the floor, some doing curl-ups, some with their legs propped up on the barres stretching, while others sit in the splits with their laptops in front of them, furiously trying to finish their writing seminar papers before class starts. Kamber Hart ’16 calls everyone to the floor with the cheerful announcement that tonight’s class will begin with an intensive cycle of crunches. A collection of groans echoes from every direction, but a moment later the music begins, chatter ebbs and the carefree attitudes from the beginning of class simmer into quiet focus. This routine reminds onlookers that Princeton University Ballet is a group of trained ballet dancers, accustomed to long hours, intensive ballet programs and physically exhausting classes. Most members have trained in ballet for most of their lives. The typical PUB dancer is cast in four pieces, each one requiring eight to 10 hours of rehearsal time. In addition, dancers have a two-and-a-half hour company rehearsal every Friday and long nights of rehearsal during the week leading up to their shows. Aside from this grueling schedule, most members are also involved in dance outside of PUB. Some dancers are a part of another dance group on campus, some dance in guest choreography or senior theses, and some are enrolled in dance classes through the Lewis Center for the Arts. In short, these are dancers who have an extraordinary commitment to dance, who devote hours and hours into rehearsal, class and performances. Princeton first introduced an official dance community in 1969 — coincidentally the same year female undergraduates were first admitted to the university. In the 44 years since the development of Princeton’s dance program, over 15 different dance groups have formed on campus. None of them focused on classical ballet until 2008, when Virginia Byron ’10, Elizabeth Rosen ’10 and Alexis Branagan ’11 decided to form Princeton University Ballet. PUB is one of the youngest dance groups on campus, but the group’s age has not kept it from developing into a well-established, pre-professional company. President of PUB Caroline Hearst ’14 says that since the company’s foundation it has continued to grow bigger and better, now reaching a larger audience than ever before. “People
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have been attracted to Princeton because they know that PUB’s there. We hear that more and more and more,” Hearst said. Freshman member Sarah Howells ’16 was one such student: “After having dance be such a big part of my life in high school I didn’t want to lose it in transition to college. And PUB is a perfect way to still hang around other dancers.” For the past month and a half, I have been able to work with PUB as it prepares for its upcoming show, “Spring Fling.” The company has assembled a high-caliber production from the ground up before my eyes. The skill and artistic ability that they have consistently demonstrated is impressive for any college dance organization, let alone one that is entirely student-run. I wasn’t sure what to expect when I slipped off my street shoes and padded into Hagan Dance Studio for the first time. PUB isn’t a particularly large group on campus, and I hadn’t heard enough about the company to get a firm idea of what its classes and rehearsals would be like. I have learned over the past month that PUB’s dancers treat class and rehearsal alike in terms of their incredible energy and support for one another. It was not uncommon during company class for a smattering of claps and cheers to break out when someone did a particularly good pirouette or stunning leap. The same level of audible support carried over to rehearsals, as well. This positive and upbeat attitude is rather unique as far as pre-professional companies go; for many dance companies, pettiness and jealousy tend to dictate social dynamics. But rather than reenacting “Black Swan” in the studio, PUB has adopted a warm and enthusiastic atmosphere. Even when dancers buckled down and spent hours rehearsing the same 16 counts of choreography, they never sacrificed their energy for seriousness. PUB’s fall production “Nutz” is always a favorite, but “Spring Fling” promises to be even better as dancers push themselves to experiment in new formats, new variations and new choreography. PUB’s performances are comprised of classical ballet variations and student-choreographed contemporary pieces. While the classical half of their fall show always contains selections from “The Nutcracker,” the spring production allows for more flexibility in its choice of choreography. This year PUB chose “Spring Fling” as its theme and selected classical variations from different ballets that somehow evoke this theme. The classical repertoire, chosen and cast by artistic director Paige Hupy ’14 and assistant artistic director Leah Worthington See PUB page s2
4/10/13 10:31 PM