We had a wonderful 19th season of Citydance. CityDance students participated in weekly ballet lessons, fun master classes, and exposure to multiple art forms and styles of dance. Read more about the 2021/2022 season of CityDance and all the fun activities students participated in below!
CityDance Ballet Classes
Each week dancers attended their weekly ballet lesson. Students learned the fundamentals of ballet, including ballet terminology, classical technique, and ballet history. Classes are geared toward students’ age, ability, and growth throughout the year. Level 1 & 2 students attend class once a week; Level 3 students attend class twice per week. To help our students succeed, all students are required to wear a classical ballet uniform, provided at no charge by the USA IBC. Leotards and tights were generously donated by Bloch.
Special Master Class with CityDance Alumni
In December of 2021, our Level 3 students participated in a series of Jazz master classes taught by CityDance Alumna, Madison Johnson. Madison Johnson is now a dance major at the University of Southern Mississippi and hopes to become a professional dancer and instructor upon completion of her degree.
Art Project
Rebecca Wilkerson, Wells Power APAC Art Instructor, provided the students with a chance to learn about Visual Art. Ms. Wilkerson lead the students in an art project in which students combined crayons, paint, and markers to create a self-portrait. The portraits were placed on display at the Art Reception following the annual Recital.
Attending Performances
Throughout the year, the USA IBC partners with local dance organizations to allow our students to attend multiple dance performances. This year, students attended Ballet Mississippi’s presentation of The Nutcracker. Over 100 students and their families attended the performance and experienced a ballet classic. In April, students attended a private showing of Kinetic Etchings Dance Company’s modern work, Planets. This educational showcase was accompanied by a Q&A with the artists so that CityDance students could learn more about choreography, performing, and modern dance.
Annual Recital & Art Reception
The 2022 annual CityDance Recital: Fairy Tales & Fables was presented on May 12, 2022, at the Belhaven Center for the Arts. Students prepared all year for this lovely presentation of their recital pieces. Instructors, Sara Berry-Lee & Madalyn Burke, taught each class a dance inspired by a fairy tale or fable. Olivia Bonds, a CityDance Alumna, narrated the recital, reading the fairy tale or fable prior to the presentation of the students’ routine. To celebrate a job well done, students and their families enjoyed a beautiful reception and art show following the recital. See the full video of Fairy Tales & Fables below.