Art-Reach, with the help of filmmaker Glenn Holsten, will be documenting the journey of St. Katherine’s Day School students as they participate in a 10 week dance workshop with the Pennsylvania Ballet. Their performance will premiere at our 2017 Cultural Access Awards on May 6th at FringeArts. Glenn shared his thoughts on day two of filming below.
Art Reach
St. Katherine’s/PA Ballet film
Day 2: February 15, 2017
First day at the Pennsylvania Ballet rehearsal studios!
Today energetic and electric choreographer Jessica Kilpatrick met with the six dancers/students from St. Katherine’s. She gave everyone (including St. Katherine’s uber-principal Kathleen Gould) a real work out, as she led them through stretching techniques and taught some basic ballet moves. Jessica observed the students’ natural gifts for movement, and Muffy, Christina, Tamika, Thomas and Dion were all happy to show their stuff. Jason, a talented young man, was quite the observer for much of the rehearsal, but we were all relieved when the music finally got to him, and he just couldn’t keep still! After the rehearsal, the St. K dancers observed a rehearsal of the Pennsylvania Ballet’s second company (PB2), and then met and had a lunch the PB2 dancers. There was a sweet energy in the air as the young people (who are all in the same age range) got to know each other by sharing things they had in common, including favorite color, favorite food, favorite subject in school, etc.
Next week is the first rehearsal of the combined groups of performers, where I hope to capture the growing relationships as they craft their dance together.
