Geiger Classic Ballet Academy

Judy Rice in Bloomfield Hills on 08/13/12

Geiger Ballet Administrator — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 06:19:43 +0000

Judy Rice is a graduate of the National Ballet School of Canada and has performed extensively across the U.S. and Canada, including the Joffrey Ballet, The National Tap Dance Company of Canada, and American Ballet Comedy. She has over 20 years’ experience teaching for regional companies and festivals as well as Company Dance, DMA, DEA, CNADM, SADM, Regional Dance of America, at regional and national festivals, 3D Dance Network, The Joffrey Ballet School, The Joffrey Ballet, Steps, and the Dance Teacher Summit in NYC. Rice has been a judge for ADA and has been on the faculty for Dance Masters Teacher Training School and is on the faculty for CNADM training school. In 2007, she was also honored with CNADM’s Artistic Achievement Award. She has been a contributing writer to Goldrush, now known as Dance Studio Life magazine. In May of 2000, she cofounded Behind Barres, with pianist Paul Lewis and producer Rob Martens, and together to date they have produced eleven albums of music for ballet class, one CD for modern class, and seven educational DVD’s. The Behind Barres music was featured on ABC’s hit television show Lost.

Ms. Rice’s television credits include: Fame, All my Children, The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson and the Great American Dance Challenge. Since 1990 she has been an Associate Professor of Performing Arts at the University of Michigan and is currently guest faculty for Broadway Dance Center in New York City.

BOY’S ATHLETIC DANCE CLASS

Geiger Ballet Administrator — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 07:34:17 +0000

Starting March 3rd, 2012

This class is for both the dancer and for those boys who have never set foot in a dance studio. The practice develops skill sets important in various sports such as basketball and hockey, and also is helpful for those interested in other performing arts such as theatre. The boy’s class starts out with flexibility exercises, a set of stretches with focus on the hamstrings and lower back. The agility portion of class uses jump ropes and balls for foot placement, coordination and rhythmic skills. Basic ballet barre work helps the boys with body stature, posture, balance and warm up of lower body leg joints. Finally, strong leaps for elevation finish the workout.

Luba Gulyaeva in Bloomfield Hills on 07/30/12

Geiger Ballet Administrator — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 00:13:25 +0000

Luba Gulyaeva

Luba Gulyaeva was educated at the Vaganova Ballet Academy in Leningrad, USSR. She was a soloist with the Kirov Ballet Theatre for seven years, dancing featured roles in Sleeping Beauty, Giselle, La Bayadere, and Don Quixote. In the 1980s, she was invited by Mikhail Baryshnikov to join the staff of American Ballet Theatre where she taught company class and coached the dancers. Ms. Gulyaeva also taught all levels at the ABT School. Additional teaching credits include the Australian Ballet in Melbourne, the School of American Ballet in New York, and seminars on the Russian Teaching Method at numerous universities in the US. Ms. Gulyaeva is a master teacher and coach.

She is currently ballet mistress for the New Jersey Ballet Company and is also on faculty at Steps in New York City and Long Island Ballet. She has coached competitors for the International Ballet Competition and auditions students for major ballet companies throughout the US. She has been on faculty two times at the RDA Annual Performance-Choreography Conference and has taught at two RDA Festivals in the Southwest Region.

Regional Dance America 2012!

Geiger Ballet Administrator — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 04:41:28 +0000

Spring/Summer is soon approaching, and that means its time for the Regional Dance America Festival. We are proud to take our students once again to participate in this event.

In 2012 The Festival is going to be a very special since the Festival is going to bring all the regions together into a national festival. This is the only the 3rd time this has happen. It will be great to participate on a nation level!

The Festival will be May 1-5 in one of the most beautiful cities in the world, Montreal, Canada. A great city and great students performing the arts.

Check out the Promo!

Patricia Barker in Bloomfield Hills on TBD

Geiger Ballet Administrator — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 04:52:34 +0000

Patricia Barker

Patricia Barker, former principal dancer with Pacific Northwest Ballet, is considered one of the world’s most gifted ballerinas. She received her early ballet training from Lynne Williams in Richland, WA, studied on scholarship both at Boston Ballet School with E. Virginia Williams and Violette Verdi and Pacific Northwest Ballet School with Francia Russell, Perry Brunson and Janet Reed.Ms. Barker has danced in many of the great full length ballets and contemporary works from renowned choreographers. She performed with Pacific Northwest Ballet extensively throughout Europe, Asia, Australia and North America. She appeared as a guest artist with national and international ballet companies and performed in many galas throughout the world.

Ms. Barker danced the lead role of Clara in Nutcracker the Motion Picture, and starred as Titania in the BBC’s film, A Midsummer Night’s Dream in a celebratory re-opening of the Sadler’s Wells Theatre in London. She graced the covers of Dance Magazine, Danser, Pointe Magazine, Dance Australia, Dance Teacher, Dance Pages, Ballet Review and Dance International.

She stages, rehearses and coaches ballets for professional companies including staging works for the Balanchine Trust on the Slovak National Ballet and the Hungarian National Ballet. In her role as Artistic Advisor for the Slovak National Ballet, she also

advised on programming and fund raising.

Ms. Barker is a judge for international ballet competitions and teaches at nationally renowned ballet schools. She collaborated with Freed of London, producing an instructional video answering dancers’ most frequently asked questions about the art of wearing Pointe shoes. As a member of the artistic team of Broadway Bound, she choreographed full scale productions performed by children between the ages of 5 to 18.

Ms. Barker’s entrepreneurial and management experience includes product design and development for her own dancewear company; a patent award while consulting with a leading dancewear manufacturer; and product development consulting for a dance accessories company.

Ms. Barker’s involvement in fundraising includes Capital Campaigns, Endowments and Scholarships. She is currently a board member of the Tateuchi Center, a performing arts center in Bellevue, Washington and on the advisory boards for Pointe Magazine, CriticalDance.com, California Ballet and Broadway Bound. She has previously served on the advisory boards of The Marion Oliver McCaw Hall, Seattle’s premiere performance hall, and Minnesota Dance Theater.

She is also dedicated to bring greater awareness to bone and joint health by acting as a spokes person for the United States Bone and Joint Decade. Ms. Barker has been instrumental in creating Fit to a T programs for young dancers to spread awareness about bone health and osteoporosis.

Photo via Ben Kerns

Summer Intensive Program 2012

Geiger Ballet Administrator — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 20:42:10 +0000

We just want the students, and dancers that are going to be in the Michigan area for summer 2012 that our Summer Intensive Program information will be released soon.. Stay tuned for updates!

From Around The Web: Tracing Ballet’s Cultural History Over 400 Years

Geiger Ballet Administrator — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 19:22:47 +0000

Paul Kolnik/AP Photo

Recently found an interesting piece from NPR speaking about the history of Ballet. We would recommend you checking it out

NPR Article NPR Article Two

Excerpts:

“Ballet’s history is not just about choreography and technique – it’s also a history of nationalization, the changing ways we view the body, shifting gender norms and class struggles. “

“It’s less about perfect bodies and perfection of technique. Ballet dancing is the quality of illumination, a luminosity. You know it when you see it. “

30 minute NPR interview

Take a look behind the Nutcrackers magic..

Geiger Ballet Administrator — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 22:08:22 +0000

Deep Concentration Preparing for the Nutcracker

This past week we got a visit from 97.1/CBS news to get a behind the scenes peak of some of the Michigan Classic Ballet dancers. The Dancers are preparing for the this weekends performance of the Nutcracker. Come take a look how the dancers prepare for this Tchaikovsky favorite

Pictures

Michigan Classic Ballet Company in Farmington Hills on 12/03/11 12/04/11

Geiger Ballet Administrator — Sat, 22 Oct 2011 17:18:19 +0000

We our proud to announce, that Michigan Class Ballet Company will be putting on the 2011 performance of The Nutcracker. Please join us on this magical winter experience

Special Guest Performers

Stephen Sanford – Grand Rapids Ballet
Sadie Brown – Grand Rapids Ballet
Mark “Dave” Naguin – Grand Rapids Ballet
Chelsea Clow – Grand Rapids Ballet

Optional Nutcracker Packages

Premier Package:

Priority Seating
Post-performance Backstage Tour
Opportunity to take photos with performers

Nutcracker Tea Package:

Refreshments and holiday treats
Live music by Detroit Symphony Orchestra’s (DSO) Civic Youth Ensemble
Availability for professional photos with select dancers

Mary’s Viewpointe

Mary Geiger — Sat, 06 Aug 2011 21:03:40 +0000

So we just finished our first week with Ana Lobe. This was her 3rd time visiting us and not since 2006. Here is a little background on her….she was dance educated in Cuba in the National Cuban School, Artistic Director, Alicia Alonso. ( Laura Alonso is Alicia’s daughter and has been a faculty guest at GCBA 3 times too) She defected to our country and danced with The Cleveland San Jose Company and later did guesting gigs all over….also with us (MCBC) as Sugar Plum Fairy in Nutcracker.

She has a very nice way of demanding excellence…soft spoken and deliberate. I hope the dancers enjoyed their week with her. I know I did. It is really nice to be able to sit back and observe my students in class with another teacher at the helm. I have the luxury of stepping back from the overall details and concentrate on the students in a complete way. I am able to see how they take in information. It is interesting to watch a student receive the same correction that I may of given dozens of times….and suddenly “ping” the light goes on for them because this teacher shaded it somehow differently. Whatever works! It is also fun to see how they manage a new outlook or style. Young students are just at the point of realizing there are different styles…that ballet is a subjective art. Truly it is not black or white, even though as a teacher we make it that way in order to not to get confused until their technique is solid.

On a personal level, since Ana stayed at my home…we got to chat and talk “Ballet”…compare notes and help each other out with our individual schools and dilemmas. It is fun to share how one gets across certain steps and technique to our students. Since I can sometimes feel isolated and a bit stuck….this opportunity gives me a chance to see new ways of doing things….new combinations and a fresh outlook too!

It is a win-win for all.

Geiger Classic Ballet Academy

Judy Rice in Bloomfield Hills on 08/13/12

Related show

BOY’S ATHLETIC DANCE CLASS

Luba Gulyaeva in Bloomfield Hills on 07/30/12

Luba Gulyaeva

Related show

Regional Dance America 2012!

Patricia Barker in Bloomfield Hills on TBD

Patricia Barker

Related show

Summer Intensive Program 2012

From Around The Web: Tracing Ballet’s Cultural History Over 400 Years

Take a look behind the Nutcrackers magic..

Michigan Classic Ballet Company in Farmington Hills on 12/03/11 12/04/11

Special Guest Performers

Optional Nutcracker Packages

Related show

Mary’s Viewpointe