The Pat and Sven Peterson Summer Dance Scholarship
For Dance Alliance Student Members
Grades 7 through Sophomore Year College
The Dance Alliance of the Capital District/Saratoga Region is pleased to announce its Pat and Sven Peterson Dance Scholarship of up to $700 to assist a student who will be attending a summer dance program.
The scholarship will be awarded on the basis of the applicant's past dance experience and potential to make a contribution in dance to the applicant's local dance community or to the field of dance in general. Preference is given to those who are in the Capital District and those who have not recently received a scholarship from the Dance Alliance.
How to Apply for a Dance Scholarship
You must be a current student member of the Dance Alliance, grade 7 through sophomore year in college.
1.Become a member if you are not already: Membership
2.Follow the links to the scholarship application, download the file, completely fill it out, then email it to the committee by March 30.
Please click here to download Scholarship Application
4.Ask your current dance teacher, and one other (teacher, employer or coach), to write a recommendation for you. Ask them (or help them) to submit the letter to the committee via email.
The deadline for applications is March 30, 2010
The recipient is required to submit a follow-up report of the summer's dance experience -- no later than September 15. This report will be read at the Dance Alliance Board meeting and will include details of what the grantee learned and experienced. This report and a photo will be posted on the Dance Alliance website.
All scholarship applicants will be notified of their status by May 12th
INFORMATION:
If you have any questions about the Scholarship Application, please contact:
Sue Lauther, Scholarship Committee email
285 Pawling Ave.
Troy, NY 12180
518-833-1340 (Please leave a message)
Slauther@emmawillard.org
Please click here to download Scholarship Application
2009 SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS:
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2008 SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS:
Dear Scholarship Committee,
First of all I am so thankful for the scholarship that helped me achieve this dream and fulfill my dance goals for the summer at the Harid Conservatory for a month. Under the brilliant faculty of Victoria Schneider, Olivier Pardina, and Svetlana Osiyeva for ballet training and Gordon Wright as the Executive Vice President and director, I improved my technique greatly. In all of our classes we were always expected to deliver our best and there were absolutely no excuses. We had between four and five classes a day, and to insure that we were educated on ballet and the stresses on the dancer we had weekly classes on nutrition and injury prevention. There were three levels of dance and about 60 other students there from across the country and also Brazil. Amidst all the ballet study we also had modern, jazz and character class and at the end of the intensive all of the students had a demonstration including all of the forms of dance we learned. During the month at Harid Conservatory we also went on fun field trips and visited great and interesting places in Florida like going to Key Largo and snorkeling, and just spending time on the Delray Beach boardwalk. I met so many people and have made so many friendships that I couldn’t find anywhere else. Some of these people I hope to keep in touch with in case our paths ever cross again. I want to thank everybody at Dance Alliance for the scholarship and helping to aid my family and I in helping to fulfill my dreams.
Dear Dance Alliance Scholarship Committee,
First of all, I want to say “Thank You!” Thank you for making this amazing summer experience possible and thank you for a summer to remember.
On our very first day at the Nutmeg Conservatory, the principal Mr. Alexander advised us to “absorb everything.” Another teacher, Mrs. Susan Szabo encouraged us to use our notebooks to write down “everything,” not just what was required for theory class. I ended up leaving the intensive with a very beat-up notebook filled with corrections, variations, and rehearsal notes that I will treasure forever.
Every morning began with an hour-and-a-half ballet technique class. Learning the Vaganova syllabus was challenging at first, but helped me realize how important it is to be able to adapt to any school or company’s style. I believe that this has also helped me learn how to pick up choreography more quickly.
Each pointe class was also an hour and a half, a big change from the half hour classes I attend at home. Because we would usually have a pointe and variations class followed by a rehearsal on pointe, we did about three hours of pointe work a day. That is how much I do at home in one week! My feet have become much stronger and I now feel ready for more challenging work on pointe.
During modern we studied improvisation and the Limon style. This was another completely new experience that enhanced my ballet training and pushed me outside of my comfort zone.
I was very excited for partnering and variations classes because these are things I do not receive at home. Both classes completely lived up to my expectations and aided in my training in and experience of the classical repertoire. (Also, although we did several variations, my favorite was one from the ballet Paquita.)
Daily rehearsals for the final performance were great preparation for being in a company, and visiting guest teachers such as Natasha Fielding, Emily McCardle, Emily Patterson, and Tim Meleady imparted wisdom, expertise, and experience that took our training to the next level. Conditioning classes like Pilates and yoga pushed both my muscles and mind to new places.
Throughout the intensive, the focus was on creating a “detailed dancer.” This not only includes technique and artistry, but also knowledge of dance history, the meaning of French ballet terminology, an understanding of pedagogy, and a firm grasp of the modern and contemporary techniques. In fact, the word DETAILS is above the mirror in the beautiful Premiere Studio. All the teachers at Nutmeg have inspired me to focus on details when I return to my own studio.
This summer intensive was everything I hoped it would be and more. It was challenging, eye-opening, fun, and exciting. It allowed me to grow as a dancer and a person. I hope that your wonderful scholarship program can benefit other aspiring dancers like it helped me. Again, thank you.
2007 SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS:
Dear Scholarship Committee,
My experience at the Boston Ballet Dance Lab was fantastic! The staff was very friendly and I made lots of new friends. I was very happy with the choice that I made of attending there. It was an intense summer program and I believe that I have grown as a dancer and a person in many different ways.
The dorming was at the Mount Ida College. The campus was very nice. In each suite there were five rooms. Two of them held four people, two of them held two people and one of them held one (the RA). We had a lot of freedom but the staff took very good care of us and we always used the buddy system.
Every morning we would wake up, eat breakfast and ride a bus to the studios. A regular-day at the studios was technique, a break, pointe, Pilates, a break, a master class and a special class. We were usually at the studios between seven to nine hours everyday (Monday to Friday). We also had lectures on nutrition, safety, and dance history.
In conclusion, my experience at Boston was terrific. I encourage other dancers to go there so they can have the same thrilling experience that I had.
Sincerely,
Taylor Grace
Dear Mrs. Harney and Members of the Dance Alliance Scholarship Committee,
First of all, thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to dance with such a wonderful school. It was a memorable and lifetime experience. Because of you, I was able to attend The Rock School for Dance Education’s Summer Intensive for four weeks. My hope was that this experience would allow me to grow as a dancer as well as a young adult. It did just that, and more. I received such incredible training from some of the world’s greatest dancers and teachers at the Rock School. Everyday, I felt so honored to be working with them.
Christopher Fleming, the Assistant Director and Resident Choreographer, was one of my weekly teachers. Many young dancers may remember him from MTV’s popular show, “Made”, where he transformed a high school male athlete into a ballet dancer. It was difficult for him, considering the fact that this teenage boy had no former dance experience. But Chris Fleming was determined was determined, and did his very best. Of course dancers today who remember the “scary and terrifying” Chris Fleming from MTV’s “Made” may remember the giggling and mocking of this confident boy learning how to demi plie and pirouette. The truth is that any dancer knows what it’s really like to be a dancer. Ballet classes are hard! It is not easy at all. It is really one of the hardest jobs out there. Ballet is not all about learning how to plie, pirouette, and for the men, those big jumps. It is about dancing with grace. Dancing with clarity, and dancing is if you want to be in class more than anything in the whole world, is a fine definition of a ballerina.
In my class with Chris Fleming, I was given a waltz combination to do across the floor. Like everyone else, I went a couple of times across the floor, but at the end jumped right in line for one more chance. After two waltz’s… one-two-three, two-two-three… Chris stopped the music. Everyone calmly stopped and he said “Nicole, come here”. I quickly walked to him with butterflies in my stomach making me a feel uneasy and nervous. He said to me “watch these dancers here, the way they waltz”. He was referring to the professionals from the Pennsylvania Ballet who had been taking class with us for the four weeks I was there. Four male dancers from the company, one who is in fact on his way to the New York City Ballet, waltzed right by me. “Isn’t that just beautiful”, Chris said to me. My nervousness faded and I know longer felt intimidated. It was simply inspired. Chris continued “go do it, get involved with the waltz”.
That line made me want to stay in that room and dance for the rest of my life. I went across the floor dancing the perfect waltz. And Chris said “good Nicole”. I can’t express how comforting it was for me to hear those words, coming from the well known and former New York City Ballet Dancer that many thought was of as “scary”. (Look at what TV can do to kids.) The truth is I don’t think I’ve ever learned so much from a teacher in such a very little time.
Every teacher at the Rock School Summer Intensive was inspirational. They had fun with every dancer training there this summer, and taught everyone so much. Each of my teachers encouraged me to do what I love, to dance.
My summer experience at The Rock School has made me even more disciplined than I was in June. Two technique classes and a Pointe class each day was plenty. I must admit that sometimes it felt too hard to go on in class. But somewhere inside of me I found an energy and an eagerness to dance that I have never had before. I am much more confident in my dancing, and I now know that I want to take myself to the next level. I want to someday dance for a company.
Another teacher at The Rock School, Servy Gallardo, talked to my class about our future in dance. He lectured us on how difficult dancing really is. Among the many things he said, I will always remember this one thing. Servy said “you can never go back to dancing, but you can always go back to school”. Those words made me more determined to dance than ever before. “Ballet is something you must do everyday of your life. What happens if you miss one day? How do you feel the following day when you go back to class? Tight?, soar?, every muscle in your body aches.” He qu4estioned us as we stood in front of him, listening. I remember looking around at all the other dancers to see sad, and almost confused looks upon their faces. And all I could think of was to never give up. Certainly, if dancing is what I want to do, I cannot ever stop. I have to keep moving.
Writing this to you makes me feel like I should be off stretching in the next room. Rock has made me absolutely sure of what I want most in life, and that is to become a professional dancer. “You have to want it so badly to make it happen”, Servy said. “If you want to dance, work for it.” Dance is my dream, my passion, and I know this is what I want.
As I mentioned to you in my original essay, I have always believed growing up to be a very difficult task. Teenagers are faced with many difficult choices; and I believe that girls in particular, find it very hard to make and maintain good health choices. For me personally, finding a balance between academics and dance is a difficult chore. Still, dancing has always allowed me to want to make good choices in my life; I plan to continue down this same road making good decisions and working hard each day to achieve my dream.
Thank you again for your support. Dance Alliance is such a wonderful organization that does so much to support fellow dancers and advocates, hence contributing to our greater community. I will always be grateful to you for being there for me when I needed you most!
Thank you again so very much!
Sincerely,
Nicole A. Rodriguez
Dear Scholarship Committee,
My summer at Boston Ballet's Summer Dance Program was such an amazing experience. What I really liked about this program was that each level had it's own main teacher who taught you everyday. I actually had two, Shannon Parsley and Jared Redick. I really liked this because the teachers got to know you and really helped you improve. Along with having technique and pointe class with your main teacher there were master classes a few times a week so that you had the opportunity to take class from other teachers.Our schedules during the week were pretty crazy, on Mondays for instance the schedule was pilates then technique, pointe, modern and rehearsal meaning I was at the studios from 9:00 in the morning until 9:00 at night. At the end of the 5 weeks each level performed a piece, our level was the only level to do character which was really exciting. We did the piece to Carmen and our character teacher choreographed it herself. It was really hard but a great experience because i had never really done much character dance before that. Overall I feel like I really improved from this program and made a lot of new friends.
Rachel Torgesen
Scholarship
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