The School's Summer in Ottawa Programme encourages young dancers to strengthen their technique while developing their artistic expression. Students study weekdays with master teachers of Ballet/Pointe/Repertoire/Variations accented with Contemporary Dance Studies and Hip Hop. Enrichment courses include Healthy Dancer Workshops, Safe Stretching and Performance Preparation.
Summer in Ottawa 2013 is OPEN to students from across Canada. International students are welcome. Our hotel is the Bostonian Executive Suite Hotel; information available by contacting Ceka Michaelis at ceka@thebostonian.ca , or toll free at 1 866 320-4567 x 3900 , and quote code TSOD. Family billets available.
Mary Ross, Pam Place, Suzanne Plante, Jane Wooding, Marquita Lester, Kirsten Andersen, Jennalee Desjardins and Eliot Rudolph.
Friday, July 19 in the Theatre of the National Gallery of Canada.
Miss Hodgins studied in Canada, England, Denmark and the United States. In 1971, she was awarded the prestigious Solo Seal of the Royal Academy of Dancing. In 1973 she became principal dancer with the Alberta Ballet Company, later working in Denmark, Germany and the U.S. as a freelance artist. Miss Hodgins, a recipient of the YM-YWCA’s 1997 Women of Distinction Award, was the 1997 Chair of the City of Ottawa’s Cultural Leadership Committee, was a member of the board of directors for Dance Ontario, and has been awarded Canada Council grants to research and develop projects to introduce children to dance. Recent projects include choreographic commissions from the National Arts Centre Orchestra in Ottawa, a collaboration with Canadian poet Susan McMaster, and a commission to produce a concert version of Stravinsky’s Firebird for the Brott Music Festival in Hamilton, Ontario.
Mary Ross began her ballet training in Peterborough, Ontario with Marquita Whitham and Charles Lester. Miss Ross also studied in London, England and received her formal training at Canada’s National Ballet School where she later graduated with distinction from the Teacher Training Program. Miss Ross taught for many years at Canada’s National Ballet School under the mentorship of Betty Oliphant and Mavis Staines, and also worked as répétiteur and rehearsal assistant in several National Ballet School productions assisting James Kudelka, Robert Desrosiers and Peggy Baker, and with The National Ballet of Canada in performances of The Nutcracker at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa, Ontario. Miss Ross holds her Fellow and is an Examiner with the Cecchetti Society of Canada and is the Director of the Professional Training Programme in Ballet, at The School of Dance in Ottawa, Ontario.
Born in Vancouver, Marquita was a scholarship student at the National Ballet School; she danced with the National Ballet of Canada and later returned to the school to complete the Teachers Training Program. Marquita was Assistant to the Artistic Director of Alberta Ballet and then made her indelible mark on Ballet British Columbia over a 19 year period as Associate Artistic Director, working closely with Artistic Directors Reid Andersen and John Alleyne and she was Director of Ballet British Columbia’s Mentor Program. Marquita has also taught as a seasonal instructor with the Faculty of Contemporary Arts at Simon Fraser University. She has been a member of the dance faculty at Arts Umbrella in Vancouver for last sixteen years.
Jane Wooding started her ballet training in Ottawa with Jacqueta Northcote. Entering Canada’s National Ballet School, she studied with Betty Oliphant, Nancy Kilgour, Daniel Seillier, and Grant Strate. After graduation, Jane continued her training in England, Holland and Germany. Ms. Wooding danced with the National Ballet of Canada, performing Romantic, Classical and Contemporary repertoire from 1972 – 78. This allowed her to work with exceptional mentors including Mikhail Baryshnikov, Erik Bruhn, Celia Franca, Karen Kain, Rudolf Nureyev, and Veronica Tennant. Jane then joined Canada’s National Ballet School staff teaching ballet, repertoire, pointework and pedagogy for 8 years. Presently teaching for Canada’s National Ballet School in the Teacher Training Program, and for George Brown Dance/Ballet Jorgen Canada, Jane has also taught ballet on the faculties of York University and the Quinte Ballet School of Canada. She examines annually for the Cecchetti Society of Canada. Guest work includes summer courses, classes and workshops across Canada and the United States.
Kirsten Andersen completed her dance training at both Arts Umbrella in Vancouver, and at the School of the Toronto Dance Theatre. She then joined the company in 1995 under the direction of Christopher House. She performed and originated roles in works of Christopher House, David Earle, Mitch Kirch, Tedd Robinson and James Kudelka. She also enjoyed the vibrant independent dance community in Toronto working with Sasha Ivanochko, Bill Coleman and Laurence Lemieux. She had the privilege of training with Peggy Baker, Christopher House, David Earle, Pat Minor and Michael Trent. In 1999 she was awarded a Canada Council Award to study dance in Montréal. She then moved to Montreal to work with Company Marie Chouinard, created featured roles in three original productions. Kirsten toured and performed the company’s large repertoire in over 15 countries. She enjoyed teaching roles and Marie Chouinard’s unique movement style to new Company dancers over the nine years she was affiliated with the company.
Eliot was born in Lincolnshire, England and studied with some of today’s most renowned teachers, choreographers, and dancers including Mark Morris, Jorma Elo, David Nixon, David Dawson, Javier DeFrutos, Michael Pink, Christopher Hampson, Mark Baldwin, Val Caniparoli, Greg Horsman, Dinna Bjørn, Gary Harris, Gary Trinder, Christopher Gable CBE, and Canada’s very own Murray and Nancy Kilgour. Eliot has danced professionally with the Atlanta Ballet, English National Ballet, Bejart Ballet, Scottish Ballet and as a soloist and principal with Baardar Danse Theatre, Israel Ballet, English National Opera, Northern Ballet (Theatre) and the Royal New Zealand Ballet. He has created original choreographic works for the Central School of Ballet (London), The Grimsby Institute, Hull and Humber Chamber of Commerce, and the Royal New Zealand Ballet. Eliot has also made multiple television and film appearances including roles in The Bill, Mile High, and Johnny English and was featured in the Fremantle Media pilot season of So You Think You Can Dance. Following Eliot’s recent move from Tokyo, Japan to Ottawa he is extremely excited to work with the talented and dedicated staff at The School of Dance.
Suzanne Plante studied ballet with the late Diana Jablokova Vorps. She completed her teachers training at the Canadian College of Dance, at Ryerson University, under the direction of Sonia Chamberlain and Maisie MacPhee. In her second year at the College, she performed and trained with Ballet YS and was invited to continue as an apprentice in the company. She chose instead to finish her training at Ryerson University, which led to her 30 year teaching career. As a teacher, Ms. Plante has worked for Elaine Werner and Jacqueline Lemieux in Chicoutimi, Quebec, including a guest teaching position with Québec Été Danse. While in Chicoutimi, she was invited to teach at Laine Theatre Arts and then at the distinguished Bush Davies School in England. Her 14 year sojourn in England gave her a chance to teach, lecture, choreograph, train and perform under the guidance of many internationally renowned teachers. It also led to a more than decade long mentorship with Richard Glasstone, whose knowledge in the field of Cecchetti training is legendary. Ms. Plante also holds the coveted Enrico Cecchetti Diploma.
Graduating from Canada's National Ballet School, Pam Place danced with the National Ballet of Canada, rising to the rank of soloist. She received the Erik Bruhn Memorial Award (1997), the Karen Kain Award (1996, 1998) from the Dancer Transition Centre and the Mensa Canada Scholarship (1998). Now a physiotherapist in the field of orthopaedics, Pam is a fellow with the Canadian Academy of Manipulative Therapy and has a special interest in treating dance injuries.
A dancer since the early age of 3, Jennalee’s passion developed as the popularity of Hip Hop and contemporary dance grew on television. After completing a degree in English and International Development Studies at King’s College in Halifax, Jennalee moved to Ottawa. She is a troupe member of Culture Shock Ottawa, a non-profit organization offering youth outreach dance programs in select cities around the world. Jennalee shares her passion and talent as an instructor for Momentum Moves Canada, teaching dance in schools within Ottawa and surrounding region. She is known for her high energy and great sense of humour.
Supported by:
Cover photograph by Gilles Vézina