One of the great things about being a dance student at CityDance Conservatory is the opportunity to take master classes from professional dancers with major dance companies. On February 8th, CityDance Conservatory, in partnership with The Strathmore Music Center, presented a one-night-only, standing ovation performance of Ballet Hispánico (BH). And the day before this sold-out performance, Ballet Hispánico gave our dancers an exciting glimpse of what’s in store when they return this summer by teaching them in a Master Class!
Before the class began, BH Company dancer Omar Rivéra said he would give the students a “contemporary, modern workshop class where the students will have the opportunity to warm up with the company dancers and learn a piece of repertory from our Artistic Director and CEO Eduardo Vilaro…a work that we’ll be premiering at City Center in New York in April. It’s new so no one else (besides the company dancers) has learned it yet.” Rivéra was excited to see that the students were ready to expand their level of comfort and hoped that they’d “eat up the space” and learn more about “texture and dynamic.” Rivéra smiled when he said that ultimately he hopes all the Master Class participants “will push themselves to go beyond what they think they’re capable of.”
The class was a great success and a wonderful introduction to the style and energy of Ballet Hispánico’s dancers. But the experience with BH didn’t end there. The next day, the entire BH company joined our pre-professional dancers in a ballet class taught by our Ballet Master Stanislav Issaev. It was truly inspiring to see how well our pre-professional students integrated with the professional Ballet Hispánico dancers, building their professional relationships where it all begins, in class. It was an inspiring two days of building community and sharing joy through dance.
