February 6, 2009

Summer dance in San Jose

By Martin A. David
Special to the Times

There’s good news afoot for young, local dancers and professional dancers who want to spend part of the summer studying their beloved art form. Dance Theatre International, directed by internationally accomplished dancers Xavier and Maggie Ferla, is presenting a 4-week Summer Ballet Intensive, from July 6 to 31, at their school in the Evergreen Village area of San Jose.

Maggie Ferla

Ms. Ferla points out that students can experience “high level, star-power teachers right here in our own community.” That is particularly good news for local dancers who had dreamt of attending dance camps and summer dance intensives in Richmond, Virginia, in Boston, Massachusetts or in New York City, but whose parents have told them, “Not this year. We can’t afford it.”

The Ballet School’s motto is “Create Success,” and the intensive offers concentrated work in such basic ballet areas as floor barre, as well as important skills including pas de deux with professional dancers. The French ballet term, pas de deux, means “dance for two” and it is how dancers learn partnering. There will be classes in some of the elements of ballet choreography as well.

Students will also learn repertory by Jiri Kylian, the world famous and innovative choreographer for the Nederlands Dans Theater. Additionally, students will receive individual coaching from leading teachers. The summer’s curriculum will also include pointe work, music, dance history, character work and a strong focus on classical ballet technique.
“After all,” Ms. Ferla adds, “In ballet, as in everything else, having true technique gives you freedom.”

The results of the summer’s work will be presented to an audience of friends, family and invited guests in an informal showing on the last day of the intensive.

Dance Theatre Inter-national, a thriving, local dance school whose students have gone on to dance with companies from San Francisco to New York City, has gathered teachers from around the world for this summer’s intensive. The school’s co-founder Xavier Ferla is a former principal dancer from Bejart Ballet Lausanne. He also danced major roles with the Deutsche Oper Berlin, the Royal New Zealand Ballet, and—closer to home—with the popular Lines Ballet of San Francisco. His wife, Maggie Ferla, is known for her work with the San Francisco Ballet, Bejart Ballet and the Hamburg Ballet.

Xavier Ferla

In addition to Maggie, Xavier and other members of the Dance Theatre International faculty, the summer intensive will feature Elke Schepers, who danced with Kylian’s Nederlands Dans Theatre for 15 years and was then made the company’s ballet mistress. She also appeared in ballets by such modern ballet choreographers as Hans van Manen, Mats Ek and William Forsythe. She has set choreographies from Kylian’s exciting repertoire on numerous companies around the world.

Gregory Dawson, a choreographer and dancer from Dance Theatre of Harlem and Lines Ballet, who also performed with Theatre Ballet Canadien, Oakland Ballet and the San Francisco Opera Ballet will also be part of the summer intensive. He has dedicated himself to passing on his substantial dance knowledge to the next generation of young dancers.

Paris native Pascal Molat, who danced with the Paris Opera Ballet, Royal Flanders Ballet and the Monaco Ballet, before becoming a principal dancer with the San Francisco Ballet, will also be part of Dance Theatre International’s star-studded Ballet School Intensive.

Complete information concerning applications, placement auditions, tuition, and, if needed, lodging is available at www.DTIdance.com or (408) 274-7734.