14 Berrend Dance Centre Girls @YAGP
Donation protected
14 Berrend Dance Centre students have advanced to the FINALS of the world’s largest student ballet competition, the Youth American Grand Prix (YAGP)!
Last month in Boston, Massachusetts- at the last of 23 national and international YAGP Semi-Finals rounds- dancers Xochi Atienza, Kate Barnett, Allison Cannon, Carissa Cordero, Rita Cordero, Amelia Dencker, Coral Dennison, Maya Illanes, Julia Lo, Margaux Lucas, Alexandra Mao, Nicole Pines, Jasmine Stanton and Salema Trabelsi scored Top 12 in Ensembles (out of about 55 entries).
We must raise funds now as the girls compete in the NYC Finals on April 23! Our goal is to raise $250 per dancer for a total of $3,500. The YAGP fee per dancer is $175, plus bus/driving and hotel costs. The total amount received will be split equally.
The girls, who range from age 13 to 18, performed en pointe in a 5-minute excerpt from the contemporary ballet "Entropy" choreographed by Aaron Jackson, Berrend Dance Centre ballet instructor and former company member of The Washington Ballet. The YAGP Finals are more than a competition. These talented young girls may also be observed in ballet workshop classes with renowned teachers from major ballet companies. Workshop classes can lead to scholarships or other offers for the dancers--for whom ballet means everything and who are striving toward their dreams of dancing for a company one day!
Our Teachers:
Aaron Jackson coached the dancers at Berrend Dance Centre, a small and successful studio in Olney, Maryland known for training dancers with excellent technique and artistry. After the Boston Semi-Finals, Mr. Jackson announced, “I could not be more proud or excited for our talented students at BDC…the dancers were up against many strong ensembles, and placed in the Top 12...I'll take that!” BDC is the official school of Olney Ballet Theatre, a non-profit educational organization led by Artistic Director Patricia Berrend. You might recognize these dancers if you have ever attended the very popular holiday production of OBT’s The Nutcracker by Mary Day, presented annually at Olney Theatre Center. The girls attending YAGP Finals have been featured in Nutcracker roles such as Clara, Star,Military and Wooden Dolls, Snow Queen, Flower Soloist, Snow, Flurries, Chinese, Flutes and Arabian!
Patricia Berrend is the former Associate Director of the Washington School of Ballet and a Founding Member of The Washington Ballet and has decades of success training ballerinas who dance professionally in companies worldwide. She has won numerous awards at YAGP, the most recent in 2015 for Outstanding Teacher. “Even at their young ages, these girls work beautifully together”, Ms. Berrend said, “I am so proud of each one of them.”
Every little bit helps! The dancers (and their families) have committed countless hours of hard work, contributed financially and emotionally to their dancing passion and dozens of pointe shoes have been sacrificed for the success and the beauty of “Entropy”. If you wish to contribute directly to a select dancer or her family, please contact the parent privately and make your donation arrangements through them. The dancers and families offer gratitude and thanks to each one of you! You can livestream the New York City YAGP Finals and “Entropy” on the evening of Saturday, April 23, from your computer or internet-enabled television. Visit the YAGP Website, click on “Media” and then, “YAGP Live Broadcast” for an inexpensive way to watch. For more information about our dancers, BDC and OBT, visit: http://www.berrenddancecentre.com or www.olneyballettheatre.org/
A BOW OF THANKS TO YOU................
Last month in Boston, Massachusetts- at the last of 23 national and international YAGP Semi-Finals rounds- dancers Xochi Atienza, Kate Barnett, Allison Cannon, Carissa Cordero, Rita Cordero, Amelia Dencker, Coral Dennison, Maya Illanes, Julia Lo, Margaux Lucas, Alexandra Mao, Nicole Pines, Jasmine Stanton and Salema Trabelsi scored Top 12 in Ensembles (out of about 55 entries). We must raise funds now as the girls compete in the NYC Finals on April 23! Our goal is to raise $250 per dancer for a total of $3,500. The YAGP fee per dancer is $175, plus bus/driving and hotel costs. The total amount received will be split equally.
The girls, who range from age 13 to 18, performed en pointe in a 5-minute excerpt from the contemporary ballet "Entropy" choreographed by Aaron Jackson, Berrend Dance Centre ballet instructor and former company member of The Washington Ballet. The YAGP Finals are more than a competition. These talented young girls may also be observed in ballet workshop classes with renowned teachers from major ballet companies. Workshop classes can lead to scholarships or other offers for the dancers--for whom ballet means everything and who are striving toward their dreams of dancing for a company one day!Our Teachers:
Aaron Jackson coached the dancers at Berrend Dance Centre, a small and successful studio in Olney, Maryland known for training dancers with excellent technique and artistry. After the Boston Semi-Finals, Mr. Jackson announced, “I could not be more proud or excited for our talented students at BDC…the dancers were up against many strong ensembles, and placed in the Top 12...I'll take that!” BDC is the official school of Olney Ballet Theatre, a non-profit educational organization led by Artistic Director Patricia Berrend. You might recognize these dancers if you have ever attended the very popular holiday production of OBT’s The Nutcracker by Mary Day, presented annually at Olney Theatre Center. The girls attending YAGP Finals have been featured in Nutcracker roles such as Clara, Star,Military and Wooden Dolls, Snow Queen, Flower Soloist, Snow, Flurries, Chinese, Flutes and Arabian!
Patricia Berrend is the former Associate Director of the Washington School of Ballet and a Founding Member of The Washington Ballet and has decades of success training ballerinas who dance professionally in companies worldwide. She has won numerous awards at YAGP, the most recent in 2015 for Outstanding Teacher. “Even at their young ages, these girls work beautifully together”, Ms. Berrend said, “I am so proud of each one of them.”
Every little bit helps! The dancers (and their families) have committed countless hours of hard work, contributed financially and emotionally to their dancing passion and dozens of pointe shoes have been sacrificed for the success and the beauty of “Entropy”. If you wish to contribute directly to a select dancer or her family, please contact the parent privately and make your donation arrangements through them. The dancers and families offer gratitude and thanks to each one of you! You can livestream the New York City YAGP Finals and “Entropy” on the evening of Saturday, April 23, from your computer or internet-enabled television. Visit the YAGP Website, click on “Media” and then, “YAGP Live Broadcast” for an inexpensive way to watch. For more information about our dancers, BDC and OBT, visit: http://www.berrenddancecentre.com or www.olneyballettheatre.org/
A BOW OF THANKS TO YOU................
Organizer
Leigh Wirth Dencker
Organizer
Olney, MD