By Ian Dennis, Eighth Grade English Teacher and Aaron Mize, Middle School Drama Teacher
As part of Country Day's Artists in Residence Program, we were fortunate to partner with the Charlotte Ballet to work with our Middle School students in a variety of impactful ways this spring.
Romeo and Juliet Comes to Life for our 8th Graders
Teaching artist Vanessa Carr and dancers from Charlotte Ballet taught choreography to all eighth grade students during English classes in conjunction with their study of Romeo and Juliet. Our students learned the choreography of a Shakespearean dance which takes place during the masked ball when Romeo and Juliet first meet. The artist and dancers helped our students understand the required form, technique, and style, and helped them develop an appreciation for the elegance, posture, and discipline required when dancing in the late 1500’s. Our students incorporated aspects of the dance routine they learned during their culminating Romeo and Juliet performances. In addition, the company also provided a lecture demonstration for all Middle School students during an assembly, which included dances of scenes from Romeo and Juliet and Westside Story.
Drama Students Visit the Charlotte Ballet
In April, our seventh and eighth grade drama students visited the Charlotte Ballet and got a glimpse into what rehearsal is like in the world of ballet as they watched dancers practice a piece called Opus. What was striking, was how quiet the setting was. The dancers were hyper-focused and appeared to effortlessly implement the choreographer’s notes. The environment was devoid of distraction and solely focused on teaching the dancers the intricate movement of the piece. After rehearsal, our students visited the costume shop and asked questions ranging from cost of materials and budgeting, to design and the process of creating clothing for new works. Our students also had a chance to briefly meet the marketing director and got a little insight into how social media is used at the Charlotte Ballet. Visiting provided a great opportunity to give students a glimpse at the operations of a professional arts company and see the similarities and differences between theater and ballet.
I have never done ballet before, so it was interesting to see what goes on in a ballet rehearsal. Being in theater, I found myself comparing the differences between a middle school theater rehearsal and a professional ballet rehearsal. Dancers seem to have fun, but still serious and focused on what they are doing at the same time. I am grateful that The Charlotte Ballet gave my peers and I an experience to be remembered.
Maggie Cleven, 7th grader
Learning from the Professionals
The final week of the Charlotte Ballet Residency provided a select group of students who are also dancers, an opportunity to work closely with one of the ballet’s teaching artists. Over the course of four days, 10 students learned and executed choreography that connected to the characters from Romeo and Juliet. This group rehearsed in a similarly focused way to that of the professional dancers rehearsing Opus the week prior, as the students were attentive and focused while the teaching artist layered in new choreography each day.
This was a wonderful experience that allowed me to explore my passion as well as share it with the dance community at the Middle School. It was a great way for me to relax, but also work hard. This was a great experience that I was glad to be a part of.
Kelsey Smith, 8th grader
Overall, the Charlotte Ballet’s Artist in Residency Program provided wonderful opportunities for many of our students and helped them gain invaluable insight to the inner workings and varied facets of a local ballet company.