The Academy dance boarding high school helps dancers become proficient and well-rounded artists who are prepared for the challenges of dance at a professional level. A ballet-based program encourages versatility through additional training in other techniques such as modern and jazz. Frequent collaboration with other arts disciplines and academics subjects provides students with a cross-disciplinary education that promotes development as artists and thinkers.
A Healthy Environment
The Dance department works closely with other faculty and staff to meet the educational, emotional, and physical demands placed on young dancers. The dance faculty integrates injury-prevention into the curriculum using dance-related anatomical concepts such as Yoga, Pilates, GYROTONIC®, and somatic principles of Body-Mind Centering®.
Performance Opportunities
Three fully-produced dance concerts are presented each year and are open to the public. The holiday season performance is a full length, classical ballet which alternates between "The Nutcracker," "Sleeping Beauty" and "Coppelia." The Winter and Spring dance concerts feature original choreography by faculty and guests, professional costuming, scenery and lighting design. Seniors in the composition class also produce a senior concert.
Other recently performed repertoire includes:
Balanchine’s Serenade, Concerto Barocco
Parson’s Etudes
Graham’s Diversion of Angels
Randy Duncan's Journey
Nijinska's Les Noces
Jean-Paul Comelin's The Dance Symphony to Beethoven's 7th Symphony
Faculty
Members of the dance faculty have extensive experience as dancers, educators, adjudicators and authors. Wendy Masterson has served on the faculty since 1991 and is also an advisor, adjudicator, and master-teacher with the American Ballet Competition. Nicola Conraths has taught ballet at Wayne State University, the University of Michigan, the American Ballet Theatre Summer Intensive. She has also consulted for Canada's National Ballet School. She is the author of two published books and her writing has appeared in the Journal of Medical Problems of Performing Artists, Dance Teacher Magazine and Ballett-Tanz International. The faculty have a commitment to the wellness of Interlochen dancers and have earned certifications in GYROTONIC®, Somatic Movement, and Pilates.
Guest Artists
Guest artists join the resident faculty to provide an opportunity for dance students to work with internationally-renowned teachers, dancers and choreographers. Recent guest artists have included:
Vivi Flindt – a leading figure in modern ballet, she began her dance studies at The Royal Danish Ballet and became a soloist in 1965 and was promoted to the rank of principal in 1967. Flindt has toured with Rudolph Nureyev and danced in Aureole and The Moor’s Pavanne. Flindt served as ballet mistress at The Royal Danish Balle and artistic director of the Bartholin International Ballet Seminar. She is co-author of the authoritative text on the Bournonville Ballet Technique. Flindt was knighted by the Queen of Denmark with the Order of Dannebrog.
Helen Starr – recognized as a fine ballet teacher and coach, Helen Starr was the former Associate Artistic Director and principal dancer of the Louisville Ballet, Miss Starr trained in England at the Royal Academy of Dance and the Royal Ballet School, where she was Soloist and Assistant Ballet Mistress.
Diego Salterini – co-artistic director of the Dance Now! ensemble in Miami. His work has been showcased at the Atlanta Ballet School, the Cincinnati Conservatory, National High School Dance Festivals and in commercial videos and productions for Univision.
Hannah Baumgarten – co-artistic director and founder of the Dance Now! ensemble in Miami. Her work has been performed at Lincoln Center, the Julliard School, the Cincinnati Conservatory, Florida International University, and the National High School Dance Festival, and was the 2004 recipient of the State of Florida Individual Choreographic Fellowship.
Jean-Paul Comelin - danced with the Paris Opera Ballet, London Festival Ballet, National Ballet of Washington, and the Pennsylvania Ballet as principal dancer. In 1980, he was invited to be Ballet Master of the prestigious Stuttgart Ballet, and Artistic Director of Ballet Du Nord. Jean-Paul has created over 60 works for companies on 5 continents.
Randy Duncan – has the unique privilege of being a three time recipient of Chicago's prestigious Ruth Page Award for Outstanding Choreographer of the Year. He has created work for the Joffrey Ballet, River North Dance Company, BalletMet of Columbus, and serves as Chair of the Dance department at the Chicago Academy of Arts High School. His film and television credits include Save the Last Dance and Urban Transfer.
Other recent guest artists include:
Jillana - formerly with the New York City Ballet
Janet Eilber – Artistic Director of Graham Company
Richard Hinds - Broadway choreographer
Alexandre Proia - freelance choreographer and instructor
Patrick Corbin - Director of CorbinDances
Guo Ping Wang - Indiana University instructor
Lynn Garafola - Dance lecturer from Barnard College at Columbia
Mari Jo Irbe - River North Chicago Dance Company
Maryska Bigos - somatic movement educator and therapist
Christian Burns - freelance choreographer and educator
Preparing for college and beyond
Each year the dance program hosts a college day, and invites nationally-recognized dance programs to campus. Students have the opportunity to meet faculty from college programs and audition. Guests at this year’s college day included representatives from:
- CalARTS
- Cornish College
- Western Michigan University
- Mercyhurst College
- University of Cincinnati
- University of Michigan
- Wayne State
The division also hosts summer school auditions. Recent programs include:
- Burklyn Ballet Theatre
- San Francisco Conservatory
- Complexions Ballet
- Interlochen Arts Camp
Recent graduates have enrolled in the following dance programs:
- The Juilliard School
- San Francisco Conservatory
- Boston Conservatory
- SUNY at Purchase
- Cornish College
- University of Michigan
- CalARTS
- New York University
- Marymount Manhattan
- Mercyhurst College
Graduates have performed with national and international ballet, modern, and jazz companies including:
- Pacific Northwest Ballet
- San Francisco Ballet
- Ballet West
- Kansas City Ballet
- Joffrey Ballet
- Milwaukee Ballet
- Paul Taylor
- Shen Wei Dancers
- Dance Theatre of Harlem
Honors and Awards
Dancers at the Arts Academy routinely receive honors and recognition for dance and academics. In 2009, Andrea Chim was named a National Merit Finalist.
Alumni
Richard Hinds - associate choreographer for Pippin; the U.S., UK and Australian Tours of High School Musical. A Performer with Fosse, Cats, Grease and Disney’s High School Musical. Associate Choreographer for the upcoming Broadway musical, The First Wives Club.
Reid Bartelme - Performer with Shen Wei Dance Arts, Alberta Ballet, Ballet Met
Justin Koertgen - Performer with Dayton Ballet
Catherine Chiarelli - actress/dancer in The Starter Wife (TV); Dancer in Chicago, Phantom of the Opera and Evita
Kathryn Alter - Limon Dance Company
Caitlin Mundth - Carolina Ballet
Leajeto Robinson – Tap Dog
Elizabeth Mischler – Matthew Bournes Swan Lake
Edward McPherson – Ballet West
David Harvey - Alonzo King LINES Ballet
Keelan Whitmore - Alonzo King LINES Ballet
