About 55 children ages 8 to 12 will present a recital Friday night, July 21, in UTC's Fine Arts Center, culminating two weeks of beginning ballet and modern-dance lessons from Ballet Tennessee.
The majority of the children were chosen from 10 Chattanooga recreation centers through auditions in early July. About 15 of them are not from a city rec center, but auditioned as community dancers. For 10 days, they have spent their mornings learning dance fundamentals at Ballet Tennessee's studio in John A. Patten Recreation Center.
But they learn much more than dance skills in this summer program. Through the basic requirements of their classes - being on time, being responsible for their apparel, listening and following instruction - they are also learning life skills.
"The first half of the performance will be the Dance Alive program," says Hannah Locke of Ballet Tennessee, who is also performing Friday night. "Once they are finished, those students sit in the audience while students from Ballet Tennessee's summer intensive program perform. Summer intensive students have had many years of training. They will present dances they've been working on with our guest artists."
If you go
› What: Dance Alive and Ballet Tennessee Summer Intensive Performance› When: 6 p.m. Friday, July 21› Where: UTC Fine Arts Center, corner of Vine and Palmetto streets› Admission: Free› For more information: 423-821-2055
Guest artists who set choreography for Friday night's numbers include Richard Bowman and Catherine Gaudreau.
Choreographers from Ballet Tennessee's troupe who also choreographed Dance Alive and summer intensive numbers include Brittany Johnson-Mills and Emma Pannkuk. Pannkuk will be dancing in the show, as will Brian Gephart, who will be a featured soloist as well as perform with Locke.
Children selected from the Dance Alive introductory experience receive a Talent Identification Program scholarship that provides elementary through professional-level training in classical ballet, modern and jazz. The goal is to encourage students who show promise to further pursue their interest in dance.
And they do.
Alumni of Dance Alive programs have received scholarships to The Ailey School Summer Intensive, New York Joffrey School, North Carolina Dance Theater and American Ballet Theater summer programs and Boston Ballet's summer intensive.
For more information: 423-821-2055.