Join Us For an Amazing Weekend of Dance
Right Here in New Mexico
HIGHLIGHTS
NMDC masterclasses also serve as an audition for dancers who are interested in apprenticeships or positions with Summer Company Projects as well as Summer Intensives held across the region. For example, in previous years, full and partial scholarships have been offered to New Mexico dancers to attend summer intensive programs from participating schools and companies. It’s an amazing opportunity for young professionals to see what our region has to offer for training that is close to home. Criteria for selection are personal drive, work ethic, and willingness to apply corrections. NMDC believes these qualities to be essential in any aspiring professional. All schools in our region are encouraged to attend and share their upcoming summer dance intensive information and promote future projects and performances.
Amongst many scholarship offers and invites, Ballet Taos will offer one full and two partial scholarships to our Summer Intensive with Nikoloz Makhateli and Jock Soto July 8 – 27. Mr. Makhateli will stage ‘La Fille Mal Gardee’ to be performed, in two shows, on Saturday, July 27 at the Taos Center for the Arts. Our summer intensive dancers will be joined by guest artists Daya Frenkel, Israel Ballet, and Will Wisneskey, Grand Rapids Ballet for this performance.
DESCRIPTION
The events of the weekend will begin with Mr. Soto’s masterclasses on stage at the Taos Center for the Arts Community Auditorium (TCA) Friday afternoon. All NMDC masterclasses are open to the public for viewing for a suggested donation. On-stage master classes offer a behind-the-scenes view of young artists hard at work and presenting their best pointe forward for the master teachers coaching them. Following Mr. Soto’s classes, Ballet Taos will host a meet and greet in the Encore Gallery of the TCA. Ballet Taos families, along with Mr. Soto’s husband, Chef Luis Fuentes, will host a Potluck dinner for all participating dancers and patrons attending our opening evening’s main event, NMDC Invited Talk and film, ‘An Evening with Mr. Soto’. All dishes are inspired by Mr. Soto’s recipe book, ‘Our Meals’. Signed copies of Mr. Soto’s cookbook will be available for purchase at the meet and greet.
Saturday morning will welcome masterclasses held at the Wildflower Playhouse, theatre, and gallery space. We open with a masterclass for dancers in our Young Dancer’s Edition Program,
7 – 9 yrs. old. A ballet class taught by Megan Yackovich, Artistic Director of Ballet Taos, will be held from 9:00 A.M. – 10:15 A.M., followed by two highly anticipated Flamenco Technique classes for ages 7 – 9 yrs. & 10 – Adult taught by Albuquerque’s XIAMORA.
Saturday afternoon NMDC will return to the TCA stage for two master classes with Mr. Carlson and Ms. Sandra Kerr. International Ballet School and International Youth Ballet are ranked as #21 in the nation of the top 5% training schools in the U.S., alongside School of American Ballet (N.Y.C.B) and Kennedy Onassis School (A.B.T.).
Masterclasses are open to all intermediate and advanced level dancers, ages 10 – 19 years, from our region, and will serve as an audition for International Ballet School’s world-renowned Summer Intensive with Mark Carlson, Olivier Pardina, and Nikoloz Makhateli. Again, classes will be open to the public for viewing for a suggested donation.
Saturday evenings’ performance, ‘Mechanical Nature’, presented by Ballet Taos is the true essence of NMDC. This performance boasts award-winning choreographers Jock Soto, Megan Yackovich, Gillian Kulikowski, and Zac Bigbee, alongside upcoming choreographers Athena Dunleavy, Isabel Berry, and Briar Gibson. Ballet Taos advanced-level dancers are joined by professional guest artists from the region to perform this collaboratively choreographed contemporary ballet.
NMDC closes on Sunday with our professional guest company, Zikr Dance Ensemble. Sunday morning, artistic director David Taylor will host a contemporary ballet technique class with Zikr Dance Ensemble onstage at the Taos Center for the Arts. To complete NMDC’s weekend of professional dance, Zikr Dance Ensemble will complete their Spring Tour with a performance entitled ‘Invocation’.
For a behind-the-scenes look at the world of dance, all masterclasses will be open for public viewing for a suggested donation. NMDC highly encourages our community to observe the hard work that goes into preparing for a professional dance career.