The Episcopal Dance
program began this fall, offering students in the upper and middle schools
classes in ballet and in theater dance. In the fall class
size averaged
14 students. The particular grades served are 6 - 12. Although the program
is very new, students have enthusiastically participated
in several performances.
These performances have, on several occasions, been done in cross-curricular
endeavors with both the upper school choir and band. Enrollment
for the
spring semester average 20 students. Dance students have also participated
in liturgical dance for the upper school.
 Guest
Artists
The dance department was fortunate to have Porter
Pickard, an alumni of EHS who has performed in New York, Europe, and Asia
in productions of A Chorus Line, West Side Story, The Fantastiks,
among others, teach the dance students for middle and upper school the original
Michael Bennett choreography from A Chorus Line at a one day workshop this
fall. Spring guest artists have included Thom Clower, former ballet master for
Hubbard Street Dance-Chicago and artistic director of Yuma Ballet Theater who
taught a week long ballet workshop, Byron Suber, professor of dance at Cornell
University, taught a choreography and modern dance workshop, and Nicole Cassivio,
a renowned guest teacher in Switzerland, Germany, the Netherlands, France, Italy
and other European venues, taught a Contemporary Dance workshop. Plans are in
progress to bring in Pascal Raoult Dance Company during the 2002-2003 school year.
This international modern dance company will have a one week residency wherein
they will teach class, teach choreography, and produce public performances at
the new VPAC theater that will incorporate some students as well as company members.
Dance Ensembles
Two organizations have grown out
of this program for further performance opportunities. The Middle School Dance
Ensemble and the Upper Schoo Dance Ensemble perform in the scheduled semester
dance concerts and at area festivals and local celebrations in the Baton Rouge
area. Both Dance Ensembles as well as the spring dance classes will participate
in the spring performance scheduled for May 7, 2001. This performance will include
a new work for Middle School for which the Middle School Art Club is creating
costumes.
Staff for the Dance Department include:
Renee Chatelain, formerly a dancer
with the Eglevsky Ballet, American Dance Machine, Delta
Festival Ballet and Tampa Ballet companies. She has taught
dance in schools in the Arts Council of Greater Baton Rouge's
Artists-in-the-Schools program in the Baton Rouge area,
Southeastern Louisiana University, and has been a teacher
for the Eglevsky Ballet School, Dancer's Workshop, Louisiana
State University, Dance Center, among others. Most recently,
she has been a guest teacher for Iceland Dance Company in
Reykjavik, and will be a guest teacher at Cornell University
in their dance department.
Tamu Sterling, a dancer with Delta Festival Ballet,
and former dancer with The Joffrey Concert Group, Pavel
Rotaru Dance Company. She has been the director of dance
at Baton Rouge Magnet High School, and a dance instructor
at The Dance Center, Of Moving Colors, and Mobile Ballet
School, among others.
Rosemary Luttrell, received training at the Dancers'
Workshop. She is a sponsor for Middle School Dance Ensemble.
Dance Curriculum
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