Houston Ballet's Ben Stevenson Academy
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Houston Ballet’s Ben Stevenson Academy provides ballet training for over three hundred students. More than half of the professional company's dancers have come from the ranks of the academy.
The academy is housed in the home of the Houston Ballet, at 1921 West Bell east of the River Oaks neighborhood in Houston, Texas.
Contents |
[edit] History
In 1955, the Houston Ballet Academy was established under the leadership of Tatiana Semenova, a former dancer with the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo.
In July 2003, Houston Ballet Academy was re-named Houston Ballet’s Ben Stevenson Academy in recognition of the key role Ben Stevenson, former artistic director of the professional company and director of the academy, played for 27 years in shaping and developing the school.
[edit] Pre-Professional Program
Children age seven and older may audition for admission into the pre-professional program. Auditions are held twice a year. Students follow a structured sequence of training stages designed to increase their technical skills, stamina and discipline in accordance with their age and physical development.
Academy students learn the art of ballet from the professional company’s ballet masters and leading dancers, and also have the opportunity to gain professional experience through appearances in performances such as The Nutcracker and other productions.
Potential students may be identified through the academy's "Chance to Dance" program, an innovative program that seeks out and provides talented, low-income or at-risk children the opportunity to train at the academy through scholarships, dance-wear, and transportation.
Students in levels one through three attend one hour classes two to three days a week. From the fourth level on, the training intensifies and students attend longer classes a minimum of four days per week. Classes in jazz, modern, and character dance as well as music studies are required for upper-level students. Students in levels 5-8 also receive regular instruction in nutrition and career planning. School is in session from August through May and parents receive evaluations of their child's progress.
Girls in level one through four wear the traditional black leotard with pink tights and pink ballet slippers. Boys wear a form-fitted white T-shirt, black bike-shorts, white socks, and black ballet slippers. Girls in levels five through eight wear a royal blue or sapphire leotard, pink tights, and pink ballet slippers and pointe shoes. Boys wear a white leotard, black footed tights, and black ballet slippers.
Pre-professional students participate in a Spring Showcase, a two-day graduation concert held at the Wortham Theater Center each April.
Graduates of the academy have joined leading dance companies throughout the world, including the Houston Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, The Australian Ballet, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, San Francisco Ballet, Colorado Ballet, and Pacific Northwest Ballet.
[edit] Houston Ballet II
HBII is the top level and pre-professional division of Houston Ballet Ben Stevenson Academy. Stanton Welch is the artistic director of HBII, Shelly Power is the associate director, and Claudio Munoz is the HBII's Ballet Master. HBII students attend class daily, learning from outstanding faculty from all over the world.
The repertoire includes both classical and contemporary works by Houston Ballet Artistic Director Stanton Welch, Houston Ballet Artistic Director Emeritus Ben Stevenson, and many other choreographers. The company aims to provide students the opportunity to dance leading roles in varied repertoire, allow the dancers to develp technically and artistically by actual performance experience, and to serve the greater Houston community by providing quality, professional performances.
HBII is another way for Houston Ballet to serve its constituents by reaching smaller communities that might not have the chance to see major ballet companies perform. The visibility of HBII assists the growth of the professional company by showing the excellent training Houston Ballet Ben Stevenson Academy provides.
During the 2006-2007 year, HBII consisted of 28 dancers. HBII dancers are taught by academy instructors as well as company instructors. Auditions are held annually, both in Houston and major cities across the United States.
[edit] Summer Intensive Program
The academy operates a summer intensive program for its own students as well as students from around the United States and abroad. Each year, faculty members hold auditions in thirteen cities around the country and select intermediate and advanced level students to attend this intensive six-week program. In 2004, over 900 ballet students auditioned and over 300 of them were accepted into the program. Budding young artists from Japan, Russia, Canada, and Chile travel to Houston to train at the academy and the most gifted students from the summer intensive program are invited to remain at the academy on a year-round basis.
[edit] Other programs
The academy also offers non-audition programs for children and adults.
[edit] Preschool Program
No audition is necessary for admission into the preschool program. Creative Dance, the academy's program for children four and five years of age, helps children gain awareness of music, rhythm, and movement while developing strength, coordination, creative thinking, and expression. The young children use props and imagery to refine motor skills and develop the creative process.
Children six years of age are ready for Pre-Ballet, a bridge between Creative Dance and the academy’s first level of ballet. The Pre-Ballet class introduces children to the structure and discipline of a ballet class. They learn about music awareness and basic ballet terminology and participate in class activities that emphasize creative expression through movement to music.
[edit] Track Two Program
The Track Two program offers once-a-week ballet and jazz instruction to children ages seven and older. No audition is required.
[edit] Open classes
Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced ballet classes are offered to adults and children ages 14+. No audition is required.
