A Couple of Ballet Quibbles and Bits . . .

SAB Names Three Students as Wien Award Winners:

The School of American Ballet has announced the student winners of its 2015 Mae L. Wien Awards for Outstanding Promise:  Clara Ruf-Maldonado, Joscelyn Dolson, and Dammiel Cruz.  They will all be dancing important roles in the School's workshop performances on Saturday, May 30th, and Tuesday, June 2nd.  The Wien Awards are presented at the Tuesday evening Workshop Gala.

Clara is an 18-year-old New Yorker.  She started at the School in 2004.  She is scheduled to dance the wedding pas de deux from 'Sleeping Beauty' with Dammiel at the Saturday matinee and the Tuesday evening performances of the Workshop.

Joscelyn is 19 years old and comes from Superior Township, Michigan.  Ms. Dolson first came to SAB for the Summer Sessions in 2009 and 2010.  She returned in September 2010 for the Winter Term.  She is scheduled to dance the 'Harp' in Jerome Robbins' 'Fanfare' at the Saturday afternoon and Tuesday evening Workshop performances.  Joscelyn is one of three students featured in the SAB Winter Ball video which was featured in my April 6th 'Quibbles and Bits' here:
http://zylopho.blogspot.com/2015/04/even-more-ballet-quibbles-and-bits.html 

Dammiel is 17 years old and comes from Woodhaven, NY.  He joined the School's Boys Program in 2005 and proceeded through the Intermediate and Advanced Men's levels.  In addition to the 'Sleeping Beauty' pas de deux, he is expected to dance the 'Viola' pas de deux in 'Fanfare' at the Saturday matinee and Tuesday evening performances.  He danced a featured role in Balanchine's 'Serenade' at the 2014 Workshop performances which were also shown last December on PBS 'Live from Lincoln Center'.  See my comments here:
http://zylopho.blogspot.com/2014/06/school-of-american-ballet-workshop.html
and here:
http://zylopho.blogspot.com/2014/12/sab-on-live-from-lincoln-center.html

Congratulations to all three students on this much deserved recognition.

Teen Vogue Airs Strictly Ballet, Season 2:

The the first four episodes of the second season of Teen Vogue's 'Strictly Ballet' are now available here:

http://video.teenvogue.com/series/strictly-ballet

The second season features students at the Miami City Ballet School and will eventually have 23 episodes. It features six students aged 14 through 21, several from Latin America -- 2 from Brazil and one from Cuba I believe.  Two of the students are already apprentices with Miami City Ballet. 

Five of the six Miami City Ballet School students featured in the second season of 'Strictly Ballet'
Photo by Henry Leutwyler for Teen Vogue

For those who haven't seen the first season, which featured five students from the School of American Ballet, those 19 episodes are available on the same webpage.  As we approach the School's Workshop performances this weekend and next week, it's interesting to go back behind the scenes with students at America's premier dance academy.