Posts Tagged ‘RDA’
Oh Canada
May 15th, 2012 Posted 9:07 am
Alek's first headshot, 2012
If you know us, have seen our Wife Swap episode, or have seen any of our Facebook pages, you know that dance [and the arts in general] play a huge role in our lives. All of the kids have studied ballet; most of them added tap; the boys studied modern and jazz. Jordan dropped classes when he turned 13, but was happy to rejoin the cast of the Nutcracker this past year as my partner, “Party Dad – Family One.” Alek, though, has really taken an interest and I’m excited about the opportunities that are opening up for him.
At the barre in Pittsburgh, 2011
Last spring, he spent a week in Pittsburgh with Regional Dance America and had a great time. While he’s been fortunate to study with great teachers, his exposure to other dancers [outside of his company] is limited. Pittsburh brought new teachers and classes with other male dancers – something I think he can greatly benefit from.
This year, an opportunity for a week-long trip to Montreal, Canada was presented. Also with RDA, this was a national festival unlike the regional festival in Pittsburgh. He had a lot of new experiences with this trip: rerouted planes, lost luggage, foreign currency and exchange rates, and choices between tours of the city and a men’s class with a well-respected teacher from France. He chose the class; I would have chosen the tour, but my absolute love for Montreal is not undocumented.
- Alek during a solo in a Latin piece.
His company performed a lovely modern piece [their fist opportunity to perform before an international audience] during one of the sows. I was lucky enough to sit in while this choreography was adjudicated and was incredibly impressed. I’ve watched several of these kids dance since they were tiny, so watching them grow is a gift in itself.
