THE ROCK SCHOOL FOR DANCE EDUCATION’S
Annual Showcase Performance
Faeries & Elves
2014
Now serving over 15,000 Philadelphia children annually,
RockReach
not only shares dance with local communities, but also helps to shape the children
who are Philadelphia’s future.
Rock Alumna Zhao Wan Ting
Rock Alumna Michaela DePrince
THE ROCK SCHOOL FOR DANCE EDUCATION’S
Annual Showcase Performance
Faeries & Elves Produced by The Rock School for Dance Education
Production and Stage Manager Brian McCole
Directors Bojan Spassoff Stephanie Wolf Spassoff
Lighting Design Troy Martin O’Shia
Ballet Masters Justin Allen Sebastién Riou Mariaelena Ruiz Jennifer Wheat Choreography Justin Allen Gina Grace Sun Mi Cho Vincent Johnson Christina Pastras Mariaelena Ruiz Jennifer Wheat
Costumes Laura Berry Music Coordinator Asya Haykin Photos Stephanie Wolf Spassoff Catherine Park Tiffany Yoon Thank you to Andrew Graham for the decorative logs.
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Directors Bojan Spassoff
Bojan Spassoff was a Ford Foundation Scholarship student at the School of American Ballet and was an apprentice with the Harkness Ballet, Joffrey Ballet, and New York City Ballet companies. Thereafter, Mr. Spassoff became a member of the Dutch National Ballet and later was among the first foreigners to join the Royal Danish Ballet. Subsequently, he was invited to join American Ballet Theatre and continued his career dancing solo and principal roles with the San Francisco Ballet and teaching for that company and its school. Mr. Spassoff served as Artistic Director for both Savannah Ballet and Ballet Oklahoma and their associated schools. He has been a guest artist and teacher for numerous regional companies, schools, and universities. A former ballet master for Pennsylvania Ballet, he was Associate Director of the New York State Summer School of the Arts, operated in conjunction with New York City Ballet. He has coached gold medalists in prestigious international competitions in Havana, Berlin, as well as Moscow and USA International Ballet Competitions. He is a judge for Youth America Grand Prix and the World Ballet Competition. In 2011 and 2012, Mr. Spassoff was Artistic Director for the largest Ballet Galas ever held in Mexico City.
Violette Verdy - Artistic Advisor
Stephanie Wolf Spassoff
An alumna of the School of American Ballet and New York’s Performing Arts High School, Stephanie Wolf Spassoff is a former Pennsylvania Ballet soloist, past member of American Ballet Theatre, San Francisco Ballet, and Finis Jhung’s New York Chamber Ballet. She was a principal dancer with both Ballet Oklahoma and Savannah Ballet. She was Associate Director of Ballet Oklahoma, Savannah Ballet, and their respective associated schools. Ms. Spassoff has been a guest artist and teacher for many regional companies, schools, and universities and was a permanent faculty member of the New York State Summer School of the Arts. She has coached gold medalists in prestigious international competitions in Moscow and the USA International Ballet Competition in Jackson, MS and has been a judge for Youth America Grand Prix. In 2011 and 2012, Mrs. Spassoff was Co-Artistic Director for the largest Ballet Galas ever held in Mexico City.
Ms. Verdy is the former, and first female, Artistic Director of the famed Paris Opera Ballet, as well as the former Artistic Director of the Boston Ballet. She was a principal dancer with American Ballet Theatre and New York City Ballet, as well as a guest star with the leading ballet companies of Europe. In New York City Ballet, she danced more than 25 principal roles. George Balanchine created roles for her in such ballets as Liebeslieder Waltzer, Jewels, Tchaikovsky Pas de Deux, second act Midsummer Night’s Dream, and others. She is the recipient of numerous international awards and is a “Chevalier (Knight)” of France. Ms. Verdy was invited by President Ford to dance at the White House on three separate occasions. 2
Ballet Masters Justin Allen
Born in Baltimore Maryland, Justin began his dance training at the Baltimore School for the Arts. In 2004, he began his training at The Rock School for Dance Education, where he had the opportunity to dance different styles of ballet and finish his education in the Rock Academics Program Alliance. This lead to him studying with The Rock School for four years in total. He spent his summers training with the Miami City Ballet School from 2004-2008. In 2008, Justin got his first opportunity to dance as a professional guest artist with The Dayton Ballet, which lead to him receiving his first professional contract with the Dayton Ballet. Justin joined The Ballet Theatre of Maryland in 2009, where he got to perform many soloist roles and began teaching and choreographing. In 2010, Justin joined The Rock School as full time faculty and choreographer. In 2012, Justin became Ballet Master and choreographer for The Rock School. Justin was recently awarded the “Choreographers of Color” award presented by the Joffrey Ballet Academy of Dance in Chicago, Illinois.
Sebastien Riou
Sebastien began his ballet training at the age of 16 in Toulouse, France. When he was 19 years old, Mr. Riou was offered the chance to work and study alongside professional dancers of the Ballet du Capitole de Toulouse by Artistic Director, Mrs. Nanette Glushak. The following year, 1996, Mr. Charles Jude, Artistic Director of the Opera National de Bordeaux, hired Sebastien, which very quickly gave him the opportunity to dance as both a soloist as well as a semi-soloist. In 2001, Sebastien received the “Serge Lifar” prize for his performance in the ballet “Suite en Blanc” with the Opera National de Bordeaux. He was also regularly invited to perform with the group Charles Jude and Friends. In 2008, Artistic Director Mr. Gradimir Pankov invited Sebastien to join Les Grands Ballets Canadiens. The following year, he was offered a soloist contract with the Alberta Ballet. Sebastien ended his dancing career in June 2011 and is now focusing on his teaching and coaching career. Additional training includes studies of the Paris Opera School Method with Mr. C. Jude, E. Quillere, and Mrs. E. Platel. Trained in Vaganova Technique alongside Mr. K. Peterson at the American School. In 2013, Mr. Riou joined The Rock School as full time faculty as a Ballet Master.
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Ballet Mistresses Mariaelena Ruiz
Mariaelena Ruiz has been a faculty member and rehearsal coach at The Rock School for Dance Education since 2000 when she was still dancing as a member of Suzanne Farrell Ballet. Ruiz danced with SFB from 2001-2006, where she performed an all Balanchine repertoire. She became Ballet Mistress for The Rock School in 2007. Born in Caracas, Venezuela, Mariaelena began her early studies with Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo’s Prima Ballerina, Nina Novak. Under her tutelage, she was coached and performed most of the classical repertoire, and was trained by teachers from Kirov, Bolshoi ,Cuban and American training. At 14, she became the youngest member of the Ballet Nacional de Caracas under the direction of Vicente Nebrada. At 15, she won third place at The Jackson USA International Ballet Competition, junior division, and received a full scholarship to continue her studies at the School of American Ballet. She won third place and Best Couple award at the Varna International Ballet Competition and the Prix Volinine in Paris. She has danced principal roles with Bay Ballet Theater, Cleveland San Jose Ballet, Carolina Ballet Theater, Ballet Hispanico, and has been a guest artist for many companies in the US and abroad. Ruiz has coached medalists for all major competitions like: Moscow IBC and Jackson - USA IBC, Boston IBC and Youth America Grand Prix(YAGP). Ruiz has been a judge and guest teacher for YAGP and has also worked with the New York International Ballet Competition. Ruiz was the recipient of the first Curtis InstituteRock School Collaboration Fellowship in 2009. 4
Jennifer Wheat
Originally from Michigan, Ms. Wheat trained with Rose Marie Floyd and The Contemporary Civic Ballet of Michigan. She received scholarships to study with the Boston Ballet School with Violette Verdy, The Royal Winnipeg Ballet School, and The School of the Pennsylvania Ballet under the Direction of Lupe Serrano. Her ballet career ended in 1981 after an automobile accident. She switched to jazz and studied at The University of the Arts in Philadelphia and the Lou Conte Dance School in Chicago, where she was an apprectice with Hubbard Street Dance Company. Jennifer also danced professionally with Astral Theatrical Dance Company and DanceFusion as well as performed in music videos for the band Survivor. She has taught ballet and jazz for Rose Marie Floyd School of Dance in Michigan, Maywood Academy of Dance in Philadelphia, The Pennsylvania Centre for Ballet in Media, PA and Gwendolyn Bye Dance Center in Philadelphia. Ms. Wheat was Ballet Mistress for Delaware County Ballet from 1988-1996. She was the Founding Director/Choreographer for fusion2 Dance Company, a training ground for young dancers, from 1995-1998 at Gwendolyn Bye Dance Centre. She has choreographed several local musicals such as “Angels over Penn” for the University of Pennsylvania and Narberth Community Theatre and Curtis Institute of Music and The Mann Center in Philadelphia. Jennifer was Principal Ballet Teacher and a Ballet Mistress for The Rock School West from 1995-2013. Ms. Wheat has been a Ballet Mistress for The Rock School for Dance Education since 1999.
About The Rock School In 1963, at the urging of her mentor, George Balanchine, Barbara Weisberger established the School of Pennsylvania Ballet. In 1986 Bojan Spassoff became director of the School. After six years of steady growth, in 1992, The Rock School became an independent institution focusing intensely on its mission, Excellence in Dance Education. Over the past 21 years, building on a strong artistic foundation with co-director Stephanie Wolf Spassoff, Bo Spassoff and the Trustees of The School have succeeded in growing the reputation and programs of a small regional ballet school into the internationally acclaimed Rock School for Dance Education. During its over 50 year history, The School has developed dancers for the premier companies of the United States as well as a host of other internationally known ballet companies in Europe and Asia. It offers a full range of programs for all ages. The Rock School experience instills in students self-discipline and an eagerness to learn, enriching their lives regardless of the careers they ultimately pursue. The Rock School owns the Ballet Center at the southern end of the Avenue of the Arts, providing a beautiful, state-of-the-art facility on Philadelphia’s cultural corridor. The Rock School’s faculty includes distinguished instructors and choreographers, as well as current and former dancers from major companies worldwide. The Rock School welcomes talented students, faculty, and staff from diverse backgrounds. The School does not discriminate on the basis of ethnicity, gender, or religion in its admissions procedures, employment policies, or the administration of its programs and activities. The Rock School has the approval of the United States Justice Department for the enrollment of non-immigrant foreign students and is recognized as a superior institution by the National Endowment for the Arts. The Rock School has been selected Outstanding School at the Youth America Grand Prix (YAGP) semi-finals for an unprecedented nine consecutive years.
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Program Creative Movement
Music: Charles Gounod Choreography: Gina Grace
Pre Ballet 1
Music: Johann Strauss Choreography: Gina Grace
Pre Ballet 2
Music: Johann Strauss Choreography: Gina Grace
Hip Hop Junior
Music: Taio Cruz, Justin Bieber,, Will I Am Choreography: Vincent Johnson
Hip Hop Teen
Music: Skrillex, Beyonce, We are Toonz, Ame Choreography: Vincent Johnson
Variation from La Bayadere Music: Ludwig Minkus Choreography: Marius Petipa Dancer: Maya Wheeler
Variation from Don Quixote Music: Ludwig Minkus Choreography: Marius Petipa Dancer: Abigail Kurdin
Variation from Giselle
Music: Adolphe Adam Choreography: Marius Petipa Dancer: James Floyd
Black Swan Variation
Music: Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Choreography: Marius Petipa/ Lev Ivanov Dancer: Claire Rathbun
Variation from Grand Pas Classique Music: Daniel Auber Choreography: Victor Gsovsky Dancer: Promise Smith
Solo Variation from La Bayadere The following variations and dancers have been accepted to compete at the World Ballet Competition in Orlando, FL.
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Music: Ludwig Minkus Choreography: Marius Petipa Dancer: Zachary Downer
Variation from Swan Lake Music: Pyotr ilyich Tchaikovsky Choreography: Marius Petipa Dancer: Taylor Ciampi
Variation from Cavalry Halt Music: Johann Armsheimer Choreography: Marius Petipa Dancer: Jillian Price
Variation from Paquita
Music: Ludwig Minkus Choreography: Marius Petipa Dancer: Jin Zhang
Variation from Le Corsaire’s Pas de Esclave Music: Ricardo Drigo Choreography: Marius Petipa Dancer: Rei Maezawa
Queen of Dryads variation from Donquixote Music: Ludwig Minkus Choreography: Marius Petipa Dancer: Jessica He
Variation from La Esmeralda Music: Cesare Pugni Choreography: Jules Perrot Dancer: Madeleine Gardella
Variation from Paquita
Music: Ludwig Minkus Choreography: Marius Petipa Dancer: Sarah Lapointe
Level 2/2x
Music: Leo Delibes Choreography: Sun Mi Cho
Level 3/3x
Music: Franz Schubert Choreography: Jennifer Wheat
Level 4/5
Music: Aram Khachaturian Choreography: Mariaelena Ruiz
Level 6
Music: Carl Czerny Choreography: Justin Allen
Variation from Paquita
Music: Ludwig Minkus Choreography: Marius Petipa Dancer: Jinchang Gu
Level 1
Music: Josef Bayer Choreography: Gina Grace
Level 1x
Music: Mozart Serenata Notturna in D Choreography: Christina Pastras 7
Artistic Faculty Violette Verdy
Mariaelena Ruiz Bojan Spassoff Stephanie Wolf Spassoff Eva Szabo Jennifer Wheat Natalya Zeiger
Ballet Masters
Permanent Guest Faculty
Directors
Bojan Spassoff Stephanie Wolf Spassoff
Artistic Advisor Justin Allen Sebastien Riou Mariaelena Ruiz Jennifer Wheat
Music Coordinater Asya Haykin
Costume Mistress Laura Berry
ll Faculty
Justin Allen Jody Anderson Laura Banchero Laura Berry Sun-Mi Cho Gina Angelucci Grace Vincent Johnson Molly Misgala Christina Pastras Sebastien Riou
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Rachel Butler Joaquin de Luz William Glassman Isaac Hernandez Maiqui Manosa Benjamin Millipied Phillip M. Otto Beckanne Sisk Daniel Ulbricht
Pianists
Karina Adriano Ron Bodanza Olga Borisovsky Noah Farber Asya Haykin John Levis Rosario Mills Valentina Slutsky Jeff Story Natalia Varlashova
Staff ADMINISTRATION Bojan Spassoff President and Director Stephanie Wolf Spassoff Director
EDUCATION Headmaster of Rock Academics Nicole DiGironimo
General Manager Brian McCole
Rock Academics Teaching Associate/ Boutique Manager Patti Tahan
Customer Service Manager Niccole Turoscy
FINANCE Controller Marie Therese Piccioni
Assistant to the Directors Elizabeth Simmons
Accountant Kisha Vargas
Registrar Elise Waychoff
Bookkeeper Janette Paull
CREATIVE Design & Marketing Director Tiffany Yoon
RESIDENCE LIFE Marine Club Residence Director Tina Kelly
Graphic Designer & Marketing Assistant Catherine Park
Marine Club Residence Associate Director Phyllis Lampkin
DEVELOPMENT Community Relations Director Susan Rock
Residence Associate Yenni Leoto
Community Relations Associate Elizabeth Guthrie Development Associate Ellen Bonett
Summer Residence Director Marilynn Abraham ROCKREACH RockReach Manager Christina Pastras RockReach Faculty Renee Dennis Fallon Gannon Gina Grace
Brenna Houseman Roger Lee Amy MacMillian Christina Pastras Kelly Rambo Noelle Woloszyn Jennifer Yackel MEDICAL School Physician Marc Harwood, M.D. Orthopedic Consultant Nicholas A. Dinubile, M.D. Wellness Consultant Michael Kowitt, M.D. Physical Therapist Julie Green ‘R’ CAFE Head Chef/Manager Jordan Liker Sous Chef Rebecca Kehs Rock Cafe Cook Anna McGettigan Dolores Peralta RECEPTION/SECURITY Monty “G” Jerry Bennett
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Board of Trustees Caro U. Rock, Chairman Robert L. Abramowitz, Esq. Constance W. Benoliel-Rock, Chairman Emeritus Diane Breckenridge, PhD Lisa Bristow Nancy S. Brodie, Treasurer Michael DeLuca, Emeritus Louis Eni Howard Fischer, Emeritus Jennifer Franklin, Emeritus Bruce Jay Gould Kimberly Hallman Liza Herzog, PhD Lorraine Stanhope Hirschberg John Hyman Martin Janowiecki Victoria Kaplan Leroy Kean, Secretary Warren Kuo Jan-Marie Kurdin Carol Clark Lawrence, Emeritus Robert F. McCadden Ronald J. Naples Rebecca L. Ohler Christopher Raphaely Robert Rock, PhD, Vice Chairman Howard D. Ross, Emeritus Jeanne Scandura Suzanne Schoch Rehl, Esq. Bojan Spassoff, Director & President Stephanie Wolf Spassoff, Director Elaina Spilove Sherry Varrelman Randi Zemsky, Emeritus 10
Supporters The following corporate sponsors, foundations and government agencies provide The Rock School for Dance Education with valuable support for general operations, programs, community outreach efforts, scholarships, and productions. The School is extremely grateful for their generosity.
Corporate Sponsors
American Harlequin Corporation Aqua Aramark Arena Snyder & Dunlap, LLP Beneficial Bank Capezio Christensen Investment Partners Coverall Cozen O’Connor Curtis Institute of Music Delaware Investments Dietz & Watson Dilworth Paxon, LLP Dolfinger Biddle and Reath, LLC Elliot-Lewis Corp. Environmental Landscape Associates Executive Clothiers Independence Blue Cross The Keystone School Macy’s Manhattan Movement & Arts Center Mann Center Newfleet Asset Management, LLC Pan American Academy Charter School PECO Penn Mutual Life Insurance Company Pennsylvania Real Estate Investment Trust Pennsylvania Trust Philadelphia Management & Companies PMC Property Group, Inc. PMG Advisors, LLC
PricewaterhouseCoopers, LLP Quaker Chemical Corporations Ryan Labs, Inc. Springboard Media Susquehana Wealth Management TD Bank Temple University/Temple Health Thomas Jefferson University Hospitals UBS Financial Services University of the Arts 503 Corporation
Foundations
Christian R. and Mary F. Lindback Foundation Congreso de Latinos Unidos Connelly Foundation DDK Foundation Erlbaum Family Foundation Lincoln Financial Foundation Lubert Family Fund Lurie Family Foundation Memton Fund Suzanne Roberts Cultural Development Fund The Victory Foundation Zemsky Family Foundation
Government Agencies
National Endowment for the Arts The Pennsylvania Council on the Arts
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Programs at The Rock School Ongoing Programs
The Rock School offers dance classes to over 1,200 students of all ages. Classes are taught six days a week at two campuses throughout the school year.
Summer Intensive
Approximately 1,500 students audition to participate in the School’s intensive summer session where students train in different styles of dance, participate in master classes and lectures, and receive wonderful performing opportunities. Guest teachers include Daniel Ulbricht, Principal Dancer at New York City Ballet; Benjamin Millepied, Principal Dancer at New York City Ballet; Joaquin de Luz, Principal Dancer at New York City Ballet; Michelle Wiles, Principal Dancer, Artistic Director and Co-Founder of Ballet Next; Isaac Hernandez, Principal at Dutch National Ballet and a Rock School alumnus.
Residency Program
The Rock School offers a pre-professional training program for promising young dancers. The School hosts some of the most talented students in the world who receive partial to full scholarships for their dance training, housing, and academics. In addition to the demanding training program, conservatory students receive private coaching from senior faculty and represent the core of The Rock School’s performing company. The Rock School Residency Program provides a supportive, nurturing, and safe environment, allowing talented students to dedicate themselves to their dance training at an early age.
Rock Academics
Rock Academics is a unique, college preparatory program designed for students enrolled in The Rock School’s year-round pre-professional program. Our program blends technology with an individualized academic plan to help students achieve a successful balance between their academics and intensive dance training. The Headmaster of Rock Academics provides the guidance needed to design the optimal individualized academic program for each student.
RockReach
RockReach, the School’s multifaceted outreach program, makes dance accessible to underserved urban youth in the greater Philadelphia community. RockReach is designed to make a significant, long lasting impact on a student’s social, artistic, and academic life. The majority of RockReach participants are in the Title 1 program for economically disadvantaged youth. Classical ballet is not something these students would experience if it were not for RockReach supplementing limited physical and arts education programs in many Philadelphia area schools. There are three program components within RockReach: In-School Residencies, which include 36 weeks of weekly dance instruction as part of the school curriculum; Dynamics of Dance, interactive performances by Rock School conservatory students at participating schools; and City Dance, a long-term full tuition scholarship program for students from low-income families to take classes at The Rock School. “What has been remarkable is the way in which the program has helped build confidence and self-esteem in many of our students. The weekly experience has helped build the “crew” spirit by emphasizing collaboration and cooperation. The students realize how fortunate they are to be involved in a special program that encourages them to connect their mind, body, and heart in so many positive ways.” - Anne Hodges, Russell Byers Charter School
Performances
Performing gives young students an opportunity to showcase their hard work and prepare for life as a professional dancer. In 2013-2014, Rock School students performed at the Philadelphia 76ers home opener, The Please Touch Museum, The Barnes Museum, The Philadelphia Fringe Festival, Koresh Spring Festival, Philadelphia Museum of Art Treasures of Korea, and other local venues. Many students dance every year in The Rock School’s production of Nutcracker 1776 and all students take the stage for the annual Rock School Showcase. Rock School students also perform in Dynamics of Dance lecture demonstrations for thousands of youth at inner-city schools. 12
Awards •
Gold Medal winner for Ensemble at 2012 Youth America Grand Prix (YAGP) International Finals in New York City.
Outstanding
School Award 9 years in a row
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The School has won Grand Prix, Gold, Silver and Bronze medals at Youth America Grand Prix International Finals in New York City and has had more Soloists qualify for the NYC Finals than any competing school.
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Jerome Robbins Foundation recipients for four years running.
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Two Princess Grace Foundation Award Winners
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Two Marian Anderson Award Study-Grant recipients.
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Gold and Bronze medal winners at Moscow International Dance Competition and USA International Ballet Competition (the Olympics of Ballet).
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Gold medal winners at the International Ballet Competition in Havana, Cuba.
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2014 Philadelphia YAGP semi finals: Won Jr. and Sr. Grand Prix, First place men contemporary and classical, 1st, 2nd, 3rd place in pas deuxs. Outstanding School for an unprecedented 9th year in a row.
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2014 YAGP - Rock School students won prestige in Pittsburgh, Los Angeles, Providence and Atlanta.
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2014 YAGP - The Rock School ensemble was the only student piece selected to perform at the YAGP 15th Anniversary Gala at the Koch Theater in Lincoln Center.
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2014 YAGP - Rock students were offered positions with American Ballet Theater Studio Company, San Francisco Ballet, Washington Ballet, Joffrey Ballet, Ballet West, Dresden Ballet, etc.
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2014 YAGP - The Rock School had over 30 dancers accepted to compete at Youth America Grand Prix Finals in New York City. 13
Alumni
James Ady - American Ballet Theatre, Principal - Pennsylvania Ballet Devin Alberda - New York City Ballet Justin Allen - Ballet Master at The Rock School for Dance Education, Dayton Ballet Tamara Allison - Child Lead NY Radio City Christmas Spectacular Valerie Amiss - Soloist Pennsylvania Ballet Alexandra Ansenelli - Principal - NYCB Rober Arold - Houston Ballet Allyson Ashley - Dance Theatre of Harlem Eilza Barbic - Eugene Ballet, Ballet Idaho Melissa Bartusch - City Ballet of San Diego Allison Basford - Suzanne Farrell Ballet, Pacific Northwest Ballet Ashley Baszto - Orlando Ballet, apprentice Maximilien Baud - Pennsylvania Ballet Katie Berry - Child Lead NY Radio City Christmas Spectacular Lucas Bilbro - North Carolina Dance Theatre Laura Bowman - Pennsylvania Ballet Laura Breckenridge - Broadway shows, Grey’s Anatomy, Gossip Girl Bobbie Briscoe-Company C, Joffrey Ballet Kacey Burke - Roxy Ballet Rachel Butler - Director of Huntsville Ballet School, Soloist - Pennsylvania Ballet, Soloist - Pacific Northwest Ballet Frabrice Calmels - Principal - Joffrey Ballet Lauren Carfolite - Pennsylvania Ballet 2nd Company Tim Cannon - Dance Alive! Nick Carter - Louisville Ballet Martha Chamberlain - Principal Pennsylvania Ballet Elizabeth Chapman - Georgia Ballet Emily Corney - Lead in Fame Christine Cox - Pennsylvania Ballet, Artistic Director, Ballet X Karel Cruiz - Principal - Pacific Northwest Ballet Kyle Davis - Pacific Northwest Ballet Michael Davis - Kansas City Ballet 14
Madeline Deavenport - North Carolina Dance Theatre, New Chamber Ballet Yosbel Delgado - Pennsylvania Ballet, Rock School faculty Michaela DePrince - Dutch National Ballet, Cover of Newsweek Magazine 2013 Megan Dillon - North Carolina Dance Theatre 2nd Company Gregory Dominiak - Paris Opera Ballet Matthew Donnell - Kansas City Ballet Derek Dunn - Houston Ballet Tina Egan - American Repertory Ballet Damir Emeric - Soloist, Ballet San Jose Katchiri Feys - Ballet Arkansas Molly Flippen - Los Angeles Ballet Nick Fonseca - Orlando Ballet Jessica Gatinella - Pennsylvania Ballet Joseph Gatti - Principal - Cincinnati Ballet, Soloist - Boston Ballet Ellen Green - Faculty, Ballet Chicago, New York City Ballet Kara Hanretty - Ballet Arizona Reggie Harris - Austin Ballet Alexandra Hartnett - Ballet Arizona Isaac Hernandez - Principal, Dutch National Ballet, Principal - San Francisco Ballet Esteban Hernandez - SF Ballet Kyra Homeres - M.J.M. Dance, Miami City Ballet Ian Hussey - Principal - Pennsylvania Ballet James Ihde - Soloist, Pennsylvania Ballet Jenn Jansma - Carolina Ballet Damian Johnson - New York City Ballet Erik Johnson - Milwaukee Ballet Rachael Jones - Nashville Ballet Robert Jummonville - Carnival Cruises Rachael Jones - Washington Ballet, 2nd Co. Jeanette Kakareka - English National Ballet Masayoshi Katori - Saarlandisches Straatstheater Elizabeth Keller - Trey McIntyre Project, Miami City Ballet Rebecca King - Soloist, Miami City Ballet
Ashley Knapp - New York City Ballet Kristie Latham - Ballet Memphis, Ballet Met Andrea Long - Principal Dance Theater of Harlem Skyler Lubin - Miami City Ballet Veronica Lynn - Soloist, American Ballet Theater Callie Manning - Miami City Ballet Abdul Manzano - Dance Theater of Harlem Skyler Martin - Dutch National Ballet Janey McGeary - Pennsylvania Ballet and New York City Ballet Katie Meeusen - Ballet West Regina Montgomery - Tulsa Ballet Miguel Angel Montoya - Atlanta Ballet Sara Michelle Murawski - Dresden Semper Opera Ballet Elizabeth Murphy - Pacific Northwest Ballet, Ballet West Jackie Nash - Atlanta Ballet Taryn Oliveri - Ballet Memphis Tempe Ostergren - Boston Ballet Eric Otto - New York City Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, Movin’ Out Nikkia Parrish - Washington Ballet Colby Parsons - Alberta Ballet, American Ballet Theatre Jaime Polovcak - Orlando Ballet Amar Ramasar - Principal - New York City Ballet Giovanni Ravelo - Roxy Ballet Joshua Reynolds - Atlanta Ballet Rachel Richardson - ABT Studio Company Lawrence Rines - Boston Ballet Shayna Rudd - PHILADANCO Ashley Ruhl - Ballet West Catherine Russell - Kansas City Ballet Jennita Russo - Hubbard Street Dance Company Erica Sabatini - Carolina Ballet Jennifer Savelli - Pennsylvania Ballet, Fosse, Boy From Oz, Chicago the Movie, Anything Goes Tyler Savoie - Pennsylvania Ballet Andrew Scordato - New York City Ballet Christie Sciturro - Miami City Ballet
Kristen Segin - New York City Ballet Christopher Sellers - Soloist, Ballet West Jose Serrano - Principal - Columbia City Ballet Gabe Shayer - American Ballet Theatre Christine Shevchenko - American Ballet Theatre Ilir Shtylla - Ballet Arizona Beckanne Sisk - Soloist - Ballet West, Breaking Pointe reality television series Jennifer Smith - Pennsylvania Ballet Kate Spauldin - Louisville Ballet Nicole Stalker - Miami City Ballet Taylor Stanley - Soloist - New York City Ballet Hitomi Takeda - Houston Ballet Yukihiro Tamura - Colombia Classical Ballet Margaret Tappan - Berlin Ballet, National Ballet of Holland Lindsey Tatum - Tulsa Ballet Tomoha Terada - Solosit, Ekaterinburg State Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre Michelle Thieme - Ballet West Kyle Thomas - Topeka Ballet Mariah Thomas - Austin Ballet Lisl Vaillant - Director, Southwest Academy, Pacific Northwest Ballet, Pennsylvania Ballet, Phantom of the Opera Luid Valdez - Cincinnati Ballet Andrew Veyette - Principal- New York City Ballet Francis Veyette - Soloist - Pennsylvania Ballet Michael Wardlow - Soloist - Cincinnati Ballet Jodi Weiner - Georgia Ballet Jessica Weisner - Carnival Cruises Alison Whitaker - Louisville Ballet Katherine Whitlock - Washington Ballet Paris Wilcox - Principal - Kansas City Ballet Lateef Williams - Kansas City Ballet Lori Wilson - St. Louis Ballet Gabriella Yudenich - Soloist - Pennsylvania Ballet Kyohei Yoshid - Grand Rapids Ballet Roman Zavarov - Soloist- Ballet Arizona, Boston Ballet Wan Ting Zhao - San Francisco Ballet 15
Level 6
Anthony Cannarella-Anderson
Aidan Carrasquel
Taylor Ciampi
Zachary Downer
James Floyd
Mako Fujita
Nancy Gallacher
Madeleine Gardella
Jinchang Gu
Shihang Huang
Victoria Jaenson
Sarah Lapointe
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Rei Maezawa
Alexandra Malleval
Emma Matthews
Mariah Milosovich
Maria Perez Silva
Jillian Price
Claire Rathbun
John Rowan
Taylor Sambola
Yuki Shimaoka
Rammaru Shindo
Promise Smith
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Level 6
Riku Takizawa
18
Jin Zhang
Level 5
Gilbert Bolden
Maria Gomez
Jessica He
Laurel King
Abigail Kurdin
Kyohei Masaoka
Monique McLean
Alana Morgenstern
Ashleigh Richardson
Isabella Sessa
Shaleek Tukes
Maya Wheeler
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Level 4
20
AllisonAnsinn
Michaela Baguear
Francesca Carlo
Elizabeth Hepburn
Joel Johnson
Bethany Latham
Michaela Maloney
Carson McElreath
Arianna Menzies
Caleigh Mourar
Natalie Rawson
Gabriela Rodriguez
Sierra Scott
Lindsay Siron
Tsipporah Thompson
Level 3/3x
Jade Adams
Alexis Baber
Teresa D’Ortone
Danielle Falciani
Olivia Hiester
Alyssa Laico
Lily Lawsin
Alexa Ricard Lento
Jennifer Liang
Mirella Partito
Jordan Sheikh
Jimmy Shughart
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Level 2/2x
Madeline Angelides
Sophia Comport
Christina Cruz
Cora Freeman
Michelle Johnson
Kayla Jones
Hilary Liu
Rachel Mai
Emily McAllister
Pamela Morales
Nailah Murray
Ashlyn Rinehart
Julia Singer
Gabriella Vinciguerra
Diamond Wallace
Evelyn Xiao
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Level 1x
Ashlynne Burke
Kyra Fernandez
Tatiana Hasan
Indiya Johnson
Emma Kotzen
Johanna Lackey
Anne-Marie Martin
Madison McAllister
Lily Munson
Lily Savage
Brianna Wahyudi
Alexis Walker
Amber Wiggins
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Level 1
Alexandra Belmonte
Janiya Bradley
Sofia D’Ortone
Rose Dorfman
Federica Finocchiaro
Amanda Katz
Sepp Kohler
Patrick McVeigh
Kimlynn Nguyen
Olivia Papasso
Maria Perez
Cameron Ross
Grace Smith
Alan Spencer
Magdalena Treter
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Hip Hop/ Urban Dance - Teen
Yasmine Arthur
Zavier Ball
Kayman Brown
Christina Cruz
Jadah Destinas
Samantha Lai
Bryanna Owens
Andrzej Paris-Kornilowicz
She’la Priester
Saadiq Richardson
Nate Santoro
Cyanie Scott
Katelynn Sze
Diamond Wallace
Evelyn Xiao
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Hip Hop/ Urban Dance - Jr.
Medina Baram
Faith Brown
Hudson Curci
Naomi Dean
Lily Dorfman
Rose Dorfman
Ian Duffy-Fuiano
Audrey Flanagan
Alessandra Fusaro
Brynn Heffelfinger
Theodore Lindestamos
Julian Mills
Roman Mills
Nico Murray
Kimora Love Neal
Gabriel Rader
Sebastian Shah
Leia Shrieves-Littlehawk
Jada Rae Spina
Selena St. Pierre
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Shaonna Stone-Ennis
Julianna Vlassopoulos
Bram Wells
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Pre Ballet 2
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Lauren Anton
Ella Berton
Emily Bierwirth
Godiva Bullock
Lillian Chancey
Zolani Clites
Naomi Dean
Zoe DePaul
Lily Dorfman
Sophia Giampetro
Younique Gilkey
Jessica Halili
Jonnae Hampton
Esme Harrison
Kendall Herckner
Cariel Jalosjos
Ruby Johnson
Sophie Johnson
Morgan Jones
Eve Kobell
Phoebe Lamp-Shanaman
Mila Lee
Madelyn Lehrman
Jolie Li
Dashiel Lin
Dijae Lopez
Jessica Lu
Samantha Mai
Sicilia Massa
Milo Mills
Thaniah Milord
Isabel Morales
Audrey Munson
Paige Murray
Grace Porter
Elizabeth Rao
Shyla Robinson
Emma Sabo Kurtinecz
Jercell Sandiford
Sophia Schultz
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Jaslene Scott
Jada Rae Spina
Selena St. Pierre
Shaonna Stone-Ennis
Daniel Tapia Hernandez
Sophia Van Rhyn
Ania Williams
Madeline Winters
August “Gus” Wood
Hayley Yeun
30
Pre Ballet 1
Elliot Anderson
Evelyn Becker
Arielle Biron
Ellie Biron
Melina Blando
Liam Bratane
Adrian Carabe-Peredo
Ella Chen
Linus Chen-Plotkin
Jacob Chin
Petra Comport
Eoin Daly
Gianna Davidson
Claire De Donder
Elina Deka
Celeste Gamble
Laveeonah Gilkey
Clara Gutstadt
Alice Ho
Kaitlyn Ho
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Emile Jones
Donovan Keith
Andre Kravehenko
Ian Lehrman
Isabella Leung
Jing Lin
Lior Maman-Hernandez
Raphaelle Manfrini
Kieran Martin
Saj McNallan
Henry Mills
Noadiah Milord
Simona Montalto
Kemani Murphy
Gabriella Patchell
Madeline Quinn
Sydney Robateau
Zuri Self
Ana Senoo
Madelyn Smith
Ava Stanley
Klara Tubb
Valentina Tyson
Jalina Un
Sienna Van Rhyn
Stella Viscelli
Gavin Wendt
Madelyn Xiao
Mya Yorro
Estella Zuidema
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Creative Movement
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Giulia Carolla
Calliope Crawford-Blaine
Alison Haydu
Ivy Lay
Jadon McCray
Karina Morales
Taliah Sandau
Ella Schultz
Isabella Sobol
Kayla Vu
Matilda Wagenschutz
Sessions Offered from June 30 - August 8 ROCK CENTER 215-551-7010 1101 South Broad Street | Philadelphia, PA therockschool.org/summer
Rock School West alumnus Taylor Stanley Current New York City Ballet Soloist
2014 Summer Dance Intensive Formerly the Jazz Intensive
1-3 week sessions | June 23rd- July 11th | ages 9 - 18
610-431-4321 1510 West Paoli Pike | West Chester, PA therockschool.org/summer
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THE ROCK SCHOOL WEST The Rock School’s Premier Suburban Dance Studio
Located in West Chester, PA
CLASSES FOR ALL AGE GROUPS
Ballet Jazz Contemporary Theatre Dance Hip-Hop Tap and more!
610-431-4321
1510 Paoli Pike | West Chester, PA 19480 therockschool.org/west
therockschool.org/west
Good luck to Madeline on her first Showcase with the Rock School! We are very proud of you! Mamma, Dad and Matthew
Congratulations Kieran!
Live your truth. Express your love. Share your enthusiasm. Take action towards your dreams. Walk your talk. Dance and sing to your own music. Embrace your blessings. Make today worth remembering. - Dr. Steve Maraboli
Love always, Daddy, Mommy, and Chase
Have Fun! Enjoy the Showcase again, Hayley! Love, Mom, Dad, Grandma, Grandpa, Aunt Lei Sha, Aunt May, Jenny, Ashley, Vincent
Jada Rae, good luck tonight! I am so proud of everything you do and all that you've accomplished! Always remember, "The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams" - E. Roosevelt
Summer Early Dance
Children ages 4-11 with little or no previous ballet training
Register Now! June 30 - August 9
Boys dance for FREE YOUNG BOYS SCHOLARSHIP The Rock School is proud to support the training of young male dancers. Scholarships are available to male students, ages 4-11 in ballet levels Pre-Ballet 1 through Level 2X, who show an eagerness and commitment to dance. SESSION 1
June 30 - July 19 (3 Weeks) $160 ........ Pre Ballet 1 $160 ........ Pre Ballet 2 $245 ........ Level 1 $245 ........ Level 1X
SESSION 2
July 21 - August 9 (3 weeks) $160 ...... Pre Ballet 1 $160 ...... Pre Ballet 2 $245 ...... Level 1 $245 ...... Level 1X
COMBINED SESSION
June 30 - August 9 (6 Weeks) $265 ....... Pre Ballet 1 $265 ....... Pre Ballet 2 $425 ....... Level 1 $425 ....... Level 1X
1101 South Broad Street | Philadelphia, PA 19147
THE ROCK SCHOOL FOR DANCE EDUCATION
HIPHOP SUMMER
@
June 30 - August 8, 2014
THE
ock School FOR DANCE EDUCATION
The Rock School for Dance Education’s HipHop program provides fun classes that allow students to develop physical fitness, mental fortitude, creativity and cultural understanding. Classes feature a variety of musical genres, old school and new! Two three-week long sessions or one six-week session are available for children 6-10 (junior) and 11+ (teen) with little or no previous training. Students must be 6 years old as of June 2014.
SESSION 2 July 21 - August 8 (3 weeks) $105 .............. Junior (6-10) $105 ..............Teen (11+)
COMBINED: SESSION 1 + SESSION 2 June 30 - August 8 (6 Weeks) $200 .............. Junior (6-10) $200 ..............Teen (11+)
hiphop_postcard.indd 1
photo by Tiffany Yoon
TUITION & SESSIONS SESSION 1 June 30 - July 18 (3 Weeks) $105 .............. Junior (6-10) $105 ..............Teen (11+)
4/9/14 12:06 PM
f
café delicious, healthy snacks & beverages are available
for students, parents, and visitors.
Host your upcoming event at The R Café! The R Café is located on the second floor, has a skyline view of downtown Philadelphia, and can accommodate a maximum of 200 guests for your next event.
Rent the Rock School studios for your next event The Rock School is a beautiful, state-of-the-art facility on the southern tip of the Avenue of the Arts. The building has five floors, with a total of six dance studios that are each equipped with ballet barres, floor-length mirrors, sprung floors, stereo systems that are compatible with personal MP3/IPOD players, and a grand piano in each studio, with an upright piano in studio F.
For submissions or inquiries please contact: Elizabeth Reid Simmons, Assistant to the Director The Rock School for Dance Education 1101 South Broad Street Philadelphia, PA 19147 Telephone: 215.551.7010 Ext. 1126 Email: simmonse@therockschool.org Fax: 215-551-8538
Volunteer at The Rock School! It takes an enormous amount of time and effort to efficiently run an organization like The Rock School for Dance Education. That's why The Rock School gratefully welcomes volunteer assistance in its administrative offices. Duties include preparing mailings, making photocopies, filing and other light office work. If you are interested in volunteering for The Rock School please contact Elizabeth Guthrie at guthriee@therockschool.org
Thank you for your continued help and support!
Donate to support The Rock School for Dance Education! By donating, you will be helping The Rock School provide the highest quality dance training, superior academic programming, community outreach, new programs, and innovative productions.Your contribution is vital to the School’s continued success and very much appreciated. There are many ways for you to support this world-renowned cultural institution.
Please scan the QR code to make a 100% tax-deductible contribution to a Rock School program(s) of your choice. Your contribution will be charged to your credit card and you will recieve an acknowledgment of your gift for tax purposes.
Rock Academics for grades 7 - 12 Rock Academics is an in-house academic program for grades seven through twelve, which attracts a dedicated, diverse community of exceptional young dancers. Rock Academics provides academic flexibility and dual preparation for students' artistic careers and futures in higher education. Now offering english as a second language (ESL) Support and Post-Secondary Support Programs
Our highly motivated students move forward at a pace suited to their individual abilities; students can earn middle school, high school, and college credits, critical to young artists who often spend their college years in professional companies.
Congratulations Seniors! Aiden Carrasquel Laurel King
Bramina Braet Anthony Cannarella - Anderson
On behalf of the School and all of its teachers, faculty, and staff, we want to congratulate all of the 2014 Rock Academics Seniors for the successful completion of their academic studies and wish them all the best in their bright futures and careers! Sincerely, Nicole DiGironimo, Patti Tahan, and all of the Rock Academics tutors & staff. Each 2014 Senior will graduate from The Rock School’s Rock Academics program on Thursday, June 5th. The ceremony will be witnessed by their family & friends, teachers & staff, Rock alumni, board members & supporters of the School. Bravo on a wonderful year from everyone at The Rock School!
SAVE THE DATES 2014 Nutcracker 1776
Haverford School - Centennial Hall • •
Saturday, December 13 Sunday, December 14
The Merriam Theater • •
Friday, December 19 Saturday, December 20