During this opening event, these young aspiring artists and their parents will learn details about the upcoming two weeks of training, meet The Nutmeg Ballet’s Artistic Staff led by Artistic Director, Victoria Mazzarelli, as well as have an opportunity to learn a little about each other. Perhaps one of the most anticipated moments is when the parents say their goodbyes and the students begin to take on a wonderful journey of growth that officially begins with a pizza party.
“Over 75 students are making their way to The Nutmeg this weekend and the excitement level is rising,” said Registrar, JoAnne Lavine. “We’ve been hearing from parents, double checking to make sure all of the enrollment paperwork is in, letting them know who their child’s roommate is, what the meals are like, and what time check-in is. This is always an exciting group due to their young age, especially because for some, this is the first time they have been way from home. These first days are filled with giggles, hugs, and beautiful new faces.”
On Monday morning, when those 75 students step into the bright and airy studios of The Nutmeg Ballet, many for the very first time, they will begin their day with the appropriate level of technique class taught by Timothy Melady, Ballet Master, Susan Szabo, Children’s Ballet Mistress, or Associate Director, Joan Kunsch. It is a challenging day to be certain, with daily classes going on until late in the summer evenings, and students spending up to 8 dance hours in the studio each day.
These dedicated students come from 20 of our nation’s states and as far away as Nova Scotia and Hong Kong. The majority of these students will be housed in Torrington, while others will make the daily commute from various points of Connecticut and even from bordering states such as New York and Massachusetts. One thing, however, is true for all the summer session students, whether resident-student or day-student, for the next two weeks they will learn to work together as a corps while they also work to improve individually.
They will learn to do their own laundry (with the help of Housing Director, Karen Tuck), adapt to a schedule that mirrors that of a professional dancer, make new friends, learn classical and contemporary repertoire, and most of all, they will improve their technique and expand their knowledge of ballet theory with an emphasis on what The Nutmeg likes to refer to as “Details”.
All that hard work has its rewards, of course. Aside from the tremendous leap in ability that will occur over the next weeks, not to mention personal growth from taking on such a rigorous program, these students will form bonds with their fellow students that will be maintained for years to come. Movie nights, an outing to Jacob’s Pillow to see a performance in that hallowed space dedicated to the art of dance, sharing meals with each other each day, and rehearsing for the end-of-program Demonstration will become, in time, treasured memories for these aspiring artists.
Every journey begins with a single step and for the 75 students spending their summer at The Nutmeg Ballet over the next two weeks, whether that step is a jeté, glissade, pas de bourre, or grand sissone, it’s going to be an unforgettable one.
Registration for the Children Summer Arts Workshop (ages 4 – 13) is underway. Classes begin the week of June 30th. For information call 860.482-4413 or register in person at The Nutmeg Ballet or online:
http://goo.gl/5PKjGG.