May 10, 2021 – For serious ballet students, summer intensive programs can spark the transition from recreational hobby, to a potential career path. Often students travel far from home, incurring significant costs to their families for housing and tuition. This year, Holt Ballet Conservatory (HBC) has created three special summer programs, to feed the ballet appetite of our community. In addition to HBC’s customary exceptional teaching staff, several recent arrivals to Nevada County from the Bay Area and San Diego, will teach in the two-week intensive sessions July 5-16, 2021, with morning sessions designed for the most advanced dancers, and afternoon sessions available for intermediate dancers. Both morning and afternoon sessions will have the benefit of HBC’s excellent staff, augmented by award winning dancers and choreographers such as Kara Davis, Tsal’gyur, and Matt Carney. In addition to the two-week dance intensive session, a one-week dance camp will be offered for beginning dancers, aged 6-10 July 5-9, 2021. The dance camp will include ballet technique, dance history, choreography, tap, and modern, concluding with an informal recital for parents. Advance registration for both the two-week intensive and dance camp is required, and classes are limited in size.
Holt Ballet Conservatory is renowned for quality classical ballet training, and this year, faced with Covid-19-related challenges, the studio continued with dedicated training, first via Zoom classes, and eventually in the studio, with reduced class sizes, physical distancing, and sanitizing between classes in conformance with all of the county health guidelines.
Technique classes are offered every weekday, and students take anywhere from one to five classes per week.
In lieu of a spring performance inside a large auditorium, this year HBC will present an intimate outdoor garden performance June 19, 2021 at St. Joseph’s Cultural Center (410 South Church Street, Grass Valley). The performance is produced with the support and collaboration of St. Joseph’s Cultural Center. The audience will follow the dancers from garden to garden, taking in the beauty of classical ballet danced among the blooming roses of the heirloom gardens. This live performance, the first HBC production in over 1½ years, is long overdue for both audiences and dancers. Reckoning with COVID has taken its toll on the spirits of the dancers and Dances Among the Roses is a welcome antidote to lock-down and Zoom classes. All tickets must be purchased in advance from: http://www.holtballetconservatory.org/dances-among-the-roses/
“It’s a real joy to watch the enthusiastic students of all ages devote themselves to their art form. These students continue to grow in their craft, said Yelena Holt Owner/Director of Holt Ballet Conservatory. “We are determined to not let ballet become a victim of the pandemic in these adverse times.”
Amy Schultze, one of the conservatory’s professional staff and former principal dancer with Northwest Florida Ballet, notes “Most of our students have been training several days a week for years and the studio is like a second home, so it was very heartbreaking when we were shut down. We’ve had to adjust how class is run due to physical distancing and COVID guidelines but we are all so grateful to be back in the studio dancing again and rehearsing for our upcoming outdoor performance.”
For more information contact:
Yelena Holt
530.278.5131
office@holtballetconservatory.org
http://www.holtballetconservatory.org
Classes conducted at
Saint Joseph’s Cultural Center
410 South Church Street
Grass Valley, CA 95945
Dances Among the Roses Advance Tickets only: http://www.holtballetconservatory.org/dances-among-the-roses/
Dance Intensive: July 5-16, 2021
Dance Camp: July 5-9, 2021