Cecchetti Happenings Spring of 2023
Dance Expressions is proud to offer our ballet students instruction in the Cecchetti Method, which has been proven throughout the world and history to successfully train professional ballet dancers. Developed by Italian ballet master Enrico Cecchetti, and dating back to the 1900’s, this system passes on the same ballet traditions and instruction to future generations of dancers. His method encourages a true understanding and awareness of the dancer’s body and how to use it to correctly to avoid injury. The Cecchetti Council of America offers graded examinations recognized internationally for each level mastered. Our ballet teachers are certified members of the Council, and are able to present students for examinations.
Mrs. Pam, Mrs. Jen and Mrs. Megan are also active members serving on the board of the East Coast Committee of the CCA. The committee hosts biannual conferences at the University of Maryland, providing workshop classes taught by ballet dance professionals in support of the method. During the last weekend of March '23 our DE ballet students attended the ECC CCA Spring conference. These dancers were privileged to take classes from Harriet Clark, ABT Faculty member and Children's Répétiteur, Anna Lantz, ballet teacher graduate of the Royal Ballet School in London, and Jordan Stanford, an accomplished performer, teacher and choreographer. Our students enjoyed dancing to live music played by professional accompanists in the spacious studios of the University of Maryland’s Dance Department. It was a fabulous weekend of ballet instruction, and our dancers soaked up every minute. We are very proud of how well they took class and how well they are growing in their ballet training.
The spring conference also holds an audition for scholarship opportunities. We are proud to announce that our very own Grace Elizabeth Douglas won the Young Students' ECC-Local Scholarship and was awarded free tuition to the ECC Conferences in the 2023-2024 season!
The very next weekend our ballet teachers presented 9 students for their Cecchetti ballet exams. All of our dancers not only passed their exams but earned high marks. These exams require students to perform more than 20 exercises from memory with proper technique and correct body alignment. They also must be able to recite certain theories of ballet movement, as well as translate numerous ballet terms in both French and English. We are so proud of them for their diligent work in mastering this challenging material. A special thanks goes to all of our ballet teachers for preparing them so well for this experience. Please help us in congratulating the following dancers for successfully passing their exams!
Grade I
Audrey Banton, Grace Elizabeth Douglas, Emily Magill, Isabel Sadaka
Grade II
Geneva Kurth, Skyler Wynn
Grade III
Alyssa Alston, Lilly Ann Bailey, Olivia Sadaka
DE dancers attending the ECC Spring Conference @ UMD
Grade I Students: Audrey Banton, Grace Elizabeth Douglas, Isabel Sadaka, Emily Magill
Grade II Students: Skyler Wynn, Geneva Kurth
Grade III Students: Alyssa Alston, Lilly Ann Bailey, Olivia Sadaka
ECC Scholarship Winner, Grace Elizabeth Douglas and friends taking Ballet Character Class