The Interlochen Arts Academy boarding school dance program 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 somatic practices. A substantial number of men allows for regular pas classes, repertory options, and builds strength and consistency for both men and women. Frequent collaboration with other arts disciplines and challenging academics provide students with a cross-disciplinary education that promotes development as artists, technicians 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 to 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 (video), Sleeping Beauty (video), and Coppelia. The Winter and Spring dance concerts feature original choreography by faculty and guests, professional costuming, scenery and lighting design. Seniors also choreograph, perform and produce a senior concert.
Other recently performed repertoire includes:
Arpino’s Viva Vivaldi
Balanchine’s Serenade, Concerto Barocco
Ashton’s Les Patineurs
Fosse’s Sing Sing Sing
Faculty
Members of the dance faculty have extensive experience as dancers, educators, adjudicators and authors.
Cameron Basden became the director of the dance program in 2009. Previously, she was the Ballet Master and Co-Associate Director for the Joffrey Ballet. Basden has staged ballets by Sir Frederick Ashton, John Cranko, Leonide Massine, Vaslav Nijinsky and Bronislava Nijinska as well as more contemporary works. She worked closely with Gerald Arpino as he was creating his ballets. As a performer, she danced in a variety of styles and performed works by such choreographers as Sir Frederick Ashton, George Balanchine, John Cranko, William Forsythe, Paul Taylor and Twyla Tharpe.
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 and 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:
Jean Paul Comelin has long been associated with the world’s most prominent ballet companies and some of the greatest names in the dance community of the 20th century. He danced with the Paris Opera Ballet, London Festival Ballet, the Washington Ballet, served as Ballet Master for the Stuttgart Ballet and has directed, lectured, taught and choreographed for companies throughout the world.
Patrick Corbin is an American dancer and founder of CorbinDances. He danced with American Ballet Theater II, the Joffrey Ballet and the Paul Taylor Company where he was one of its most celebrated artists. Mr. Corbin received a Bessie award for Sustained Achievement with The Paul Taylor Dance Company.
Helen Starr studied at the Royal Academy of Dance and the Royal Ballet School. Graduating into the Royal Ballet, she toured extensively throughout the world as a soloist and eventually ballet mistress working with Sir Frederick Ashton, Sir Kenneth MacMillan, Dame Ninette de Valois D.B.E., John Cranko, Leonid Massine and Rudolph Nureyev. She was a founding member of the New London Ballet and a principal dancer with the Louisville Ballet.
Gina Patterson has danced with Pittsburgh Ballet Theater, Ballet Florida, Ballet Austin and as a guest artist performing throughout the world. She is co-founder and artistic director of VOICE Dance Company. Hailed as choreographer of “startling originality,” she is a recipient of Choo San Goh award for choreography.
Randy Duncan has been a three-time recipient of the prestigious Ruth Page Award for Outstanding Choreography. He has worked with the Goodman Theater in Chicago and created work for dance companies throughout the world. His film credits include Save the Last Dance and Urban Transfer. He is the chair of the Dance Department at the Chicago Academy for the Arts.
Other recent guest artists include:
Leslie Peck – Balanchine repetiteur formerly with New York City Ballet
Steve Norman – teacher/choreographer formerly with San Francisco Ballet
Lisa Slagle – Former Joffrey and Ballet Oklahoma performer, advisor and teacher of the ABT syllabus
Alexandre Proia – international teacher and choreographer from New York City and Boston Ballet
Kristen Balfour – physical therapist for the University of Michigan
Opportunities
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 for colleges. Guests at this year’s college day included representatives from:
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Graduates of the dance program at Interlochen regularly enroll at leading dance programs around the country. In the past three years graduates have enrolled at the following schools:
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Graduates have performed with national and international ballet, modern, and jazz companies including:
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Honors and Awards
Dancers at the Arts Academy routinely receive honors and recognition for dance and academics. In 2010, Johnny McMillan was awarded first place at the American Ballet Competition in both ballet and contemporary. Antonio Montalva received an honorable mention for dance at ARTS.
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 - Limón Dance Company
Janet Eilber - Artistic Director, Martha Graham Company
Caitlin Mundth - Carolina Ballet
Matthew Prescott - Complexions, Joffrey, Trey McIntyre
Amy Young - Paul Taylor
Keelan Whitmore - Lines Ballet
Edward McPherson - Ballet West
Shelly Washington - Twyla Tharp
