SAB Workshop 2009: MARVELOUS!

photo of Serenade by Paul Kolnik of NYCB.

Serenity and energy are words for the beautiful SAB Workshop performance last night. The 17 dancers in the blue glowing light revealed when the curtain rises on Serenade are breathtaking. That moment is particularly special and poignant at SAB: the dancers are so young, they have been growing up together, as "sisters" - and after Workshop many in the group will leave for their first professional jobs. In Serenade the dancers really seem to come together in that "sisterhood", and everyone from lead to corps, no matter their rank, has special moments to sparkle. Emilie Gerrity was the Dark Angle, Lauren Lovette the Waltz girl, and Shoshana Rosenfield the Russian Girl. And not to forget the boys: Adam Chavis was the Waltz boy, Price Suddarth was Dark Angel boy. This being both the 75th Anniversary of the founding of SAB and of the creation of Serenade on SAB students, this was a very meaningful and glorious performance.

Peter Martins, Kay Mazzo, and Marjorie Van Dercook, began the evening with the Mae L Wien Awards ceremony. This year the awards were given to Emilie Gerrity, Ashly Isaacs, Shoshana Rosenfield, and Taylor Stanley. Ashly unfortunately came out wearing a boot. She was to perform the Stars and Stripes pas de deux with Taylor but injured her foot two weeks ago. How frustrating that must have been for her not to perform. But Peter Martins made the exciting announcement that we will be seeing Ashly dance with NYCB, and infact that all four award winners will be apprentices! (There may be some more apprentices but they weren’t announced last night.) The three girls have all been together for several years and are graduating from level D. Emilie is originally from upstate NY, Ashly from Florida, and Shoshana from right here on the Upper West Side.  Taylor grew up in Pennsylvania. Additionally it was announced that Violette Verdy will became a permanent guest teacher at the school and she was given the Mae L Wien Faculty award for distinguished service.

Also on the program was Harlequinade, with 32 young children from the school, impeccably prepared, as always, by Garielle Whittle. The children in the first section, the Polichinelles, were the tiniest things I have ever seen and were adorable. All the way up to the Scaramouches, the children were enchanting.

Next the high energy of Stars and Stripes began. The First Campaign was led by Emilie Gerrity, the Second by Cecilia Iliesiu, the Third by Price Suddarth, and the Fourth, the pas de deux was danced by Angelica Generosa and Taylor Stanley. Angelica on very short notice and only 15 years old, from C1 - these two seemed to love every moment together and were fantastic! This is the perfect ballet for the youth and enthusiasm of the students: everyone went all out and was magnificent.

I love going to Workshop! It is a most wonderful coming together of the school, on stage and off. EVERYONE is there! It is a huge reunion for everyone associated with SAB, and especially of dancers. I call myself a parent alumni and I had so much fun seeing lots of fellow parent friends. An altogether fantastic evening. Congratulations and thank you and good luck to all the young dancers, beautiful each and every one.

tags: workshop  serenade  sab  apprentice  

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