The Hartt School Community Division (HCD) is pleased to announce that four dancers from its pre-professional dance program earned medals and scholarships at the Connecticut Dance Alliance Classic 2nd Annual Scholarship Competition, held at Westover School in Middlebury, CT, on March 10 and 11.
Kathryn Manger, 16, of West Hartford, earned the Gold Medal in the Senior Division for the second year in a row. Manger also was awarded full tuition scholarships to both American Ballet Theater's Summer Intensive in New York City and Boston Ballet School's summer program.
Gabrielle Collins, 16, of West Hartford, won the Bronze Medal (tie) in the Senior Division and was awarded a full tuition scholarship to New Haven Ballet (CT) Summer School.
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Alice Garsuah, 16, of Hartford, and Megan Krementowski, 17, of Tolland, also placed in the Senior Division Top Ten, and Alice Garsuah was awarded "Direct Entry" to Boston Ballet School, earning the privilege to attend without an audition.
Chloe Knopf, 14, of Avon, won the Gold Medal in the Junior Division and was awarded a full tuition scholarship to American Ballet Theater's Orange County Summer Program. Eugenie Chen, 15, of Farmington, won the Silver Medal in the Junior Division and a full tuition scholarship to BalletMet Academy of Dance's Summer Intensive Program in Columbus, OH. Solana Snow, 14, of Simsbury, also competed in the Junior Division on behalf of HCD.
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Leslie Brown, a former principal dancer of ABT; Sylvie Guillaumin-Mesnier, a former soloist of Paris Opera; and Christopher Hird, Artistic Manager at Boston Ballet, judged the more than 60 dancers from around Connecticut as they competed for scholarships from several prestigious ballet schools from around the country.
Samantha Dunster, Chair of HCD’s Dance Department, noted that the competition “provided an opportunity for each of our dancers to grow both technically and artistically. The experience has been inspirational for all of us.”
These exceptional young dancers, along with other students from HCD’s pre-professional program, will perform the premiere dance concert of HarttWorks, Hartt’s new advanced dance ensembles, on May 18, at 7:30 PM, in The Edward C. and Ann T. Roberts Foundation Theater, Handel Performing Arts Center, 35 Westbourne Parkway, Hartford. Tickets are $5. For further information and to learn about HCD’s Summer Intensive Ballet Program, From Studio to Stage, and other HCD Dance Department performances and programs, visit www.hcd.hartford.edu.
The Hartt School Community Division, one of the seven divisions of The Hartt School, is a comprehensive community arts school that annually provides performing arts instruction to more than 2,000 students. HCD offers a variety of lessons, classes, and performance opportunities in music and dance for students of all ages, experience levels, and abilities. For more information on The Hartt School Community Division, visit www.hcd.hartford.edu.
The Hartt School is the performing arts school of the University of Hartford that offers innovative programs in music, dance, and theatre. Founded in 1920, Hartt has been an integral part of the University of Hartford since its charter merged the then Hartt School of Music, the Hartford Art School, and Hillyer College to create the University in 1957. 2010 marked Hartt’s 90th year of providing world class performing arts education to students in Greater-Hartford and around the world. With more than 400 concerts, recitals, plays, master classes, dance performances, and musical theatre productions a year, performance is central to Hartt’s curriculum. For more information about The Hartt School, visit www.hartford.edu/hartt.
Photo credit, all photos: 2012 © Copyright Kenn Hopkins Photographer
