Students Inspired by Queensland Ballet’s Summer School

In January, students came from all over Australia – and even New Zealand and Japan – to take part in Queensland Ballet’s most successful Summer School to date.

Participants were treated to classes with Queensland Ballet Principal Clare Morehen and Soloist Lisa Edwards, plus tutors from the Company’s world-class training program, including Christian Tátchev, Elena Kozhemyachenko, Zenia Tátcheva and Grant McLay.

Guest teachers included renowned character dance teacher Dianna Laska-Moore, former Queensland Ballet and Birmingham Royal Ballet Principal Matthew Lawrence and the esteemed choreographer Louise Deleur.

Over two separate six-day intensives, students worked on classical ballet technique, pointe work, repertoire, character dance, contemporary dance and pas de deux, culminating in a performance for family and friends. The students also took place in physio and nutrition workshops, plus Q&A sessions with some of Queensland Ballet’s newest dancers, and Artistic Director Li Cunxin.

“We are very proud of the Queensland Ballet Summer School,” said Christian Tatchev Director of Training.

“The week of intensive classes across a range of ballet disciplines provide an essential step in the training of future ballet artists. The Summer School also allows Queensland Ballet to engage with the dance community nationally and internationally.

“The popularity of the initiative has increased greatly over the last couple of years, with the 2016 Summer School being the most successful one to date.”

Here’s what others had to say about Queensland Ballet’s 2016 Summer School:

“I would like to thank you and the Queensland Ballet staff for a great week for my daughter last week at summer school. She thoroughly enjoyed it and I thought the showcase was wonderful.”

“I just wanted to thank you for the last week, Hannah had the most wonderful week dancing, meeting new people and learning. She felt very supported, and it was lovely to see her smiling at the end of every day. “

“To the instructors and organisers of Summer School. I would like to thank you all from my daughter and I, for the truly great experience that she had at the 2016 Summer School. She started her dancing year feeling very inspired and her teachers have noticed the difference.”

“My son has had a wonderful week dancing: he says he has learnt so much and that the tutors are of a very high standard.”

For more information about Queensland Ballet’s summer program, click here. 

Photo by Christian Tiger.