Bravo to the Joffrey Academy Trainees for a Successful Year!

This year has been a successful and fantastic year for our Joffrey Academy Trainee Program. Many of our students are moving on to pursue professional careers across the country and internationally.

“What’s beneficial about the Trainee Program is that it allows students exposure to different styles of dance and choreography, as well as many opportunities to perform at various venues,” explains Academy Artistic Director, Alexei Kremnev. Some of the Trainee performances this year included Nutcracker Suite in Cleveland, Ohio, and the Thanksgiving Day Parade in Chicago. Trainees also had the unique opportunity to work alongside emerging choreographers in The Joffrey Ballet’s annual Choreographers of Color Awards. The world premiere works were showcased by the Joffrey Academy Trainees at The Harris Theater for Music and Dance in Millennium Park. The Trainees ended the year with the full-length production of Cinderella in Joffrey Tower’s Black Box Theater as well as a performance of a variety of works including Birthday Variations, excerpts from Swan Lake, Paquita, and Character variations to end the year with a lasting impression on audiences.

With daily classes, Monday through Saturday from 10:30 am until 4:00 pm, the Trainee Program is rigorous and physically demanding, but allows students to experience the reality of a professional dance career.

Some of the Trainee students will be returning next year for a second year in the program, while others are moving on to professional careers in companies such as Louisville Ballet, Ballet Met, Tulsa Ballet, and Sarasota Ballet. One student will be attending Columbia University in New York, while other students will be exploring the contemporary dance route in attending Hubbard Street’s summer intensive. Another student will be traveling internationally to compete in China and audition for a company located in Germany.

We will miss many of the departing Trainees, but are excited to see the successes that lay ahead as they pursue their dreams. Bravo to our Joffrey Academy Trainees for a fantastic year! 

 

As we are always looking for host families for our international Trainee students, and you reside in the Chicagoland area, please contact amcalpine@joffrey.org if you are interested in hosting a student in your home for the upcoming 2012-2013 year!