Northern Michigan University Theatre and Dance will host its Wildcat Performing Arts Academy Summer Dance Intensive for high school intermediate- to advanced-level dancers July 13-27. Participants will attend sessions led by prominent industry professionals from Giordano Dance Chicago, Ballet Project OC of California, a former Broadway touring company member and others. They will also perform alongside the two visiting ensembles and NMU CO/LAB Dance Company during the North Coast Dance Festival, which consists of a masterclass and two public performances.
The first week of the summer intensive will feature day-long classes to hone dance skills. Week two will include sessions led by the following guest instructors: Nan Giordano, artistic director, Giordano Dance Chicago, leading a Giordano Jazz class; Ally Helman, artistic director, Ballet Project OC, teaching Balanchine-style ballet technique; Jimena Flores Sanchez, former company member, Moulin Rouge National Tour, offering a Moulin Rouge dance workshop; Adina Belanger, choreographer for Just for Kix and new owner of Dawn Dott Dance Studios in Marquette; and Meg Schneider, Certified Athletic Trainer for the Radio City Rockettes, Chicago Bulls LuvaBulls, and 312 Crew. The two-week program will culminate in an hour-long showcase performance. Learn more here.
"Summer is the perfect time for dancers to expand their training, explore new styles, and learn from a wide range of teachers,” said Jill Grundstrom, artistic director for NMU Theatre and Dance. “At the Wildcat Performing Arts Academy Summer Dance Intensive and the North Coast Dance Festival, we're not only showcasing our incredible faculty and alumni—we're creating a space where dancers can grow artistically, connect with industry leaders, and experience the kind of transformative training that shapes careers."
“It is so important to have these training opportunities for young people, especially when it gives them an opportunity to grow alongside their peers in a supportive environment,” added Jalina McClain, managing director of the Wildcat Performing Arts Academy. “We have so many young people bursting with talent who will thrive when they work with artists who practice their craft across the world. We're bringing new artistic experiences to Marquette, MI while expanding our creative impact. Our mission is to help young artists train at a high level—all while exploring and enjoying the unique charm of our campus, and surrounding community!”
NMU's fourth annual North Coast Dance Festival, supported by the Siril Endowment for the Arts, will overlap a portion of the intensive. A free jazz masterclass and talkback led by Nan Giordano of Giordano Dance Chicago will be held for dancers 13 and older with at least five years of formal dance training or one year of university dance training, and for those who want to observe. It is scheduled from 6:30-8 p.m. Wednesday, July 23, in Forest Roberts Theatre. Pre-registration for dance participation should be completed here by July 21.
The two public performances are scheduled at 7:30 p.m. Thursday and Friday, July 24-25, in Forest Roberts Theatre. Giordano Dance Chicago is returning this summer to perform two new pieces choreographed by Al Blackstone and Ray Leeper. Ballet Project OC of Orange County, Calif., will perform pas de deux from George Balanchine's Stars and Stripes and Christopher Wheeldon's This Bitter Earth. NMU's CO/LAB Dance Company will preview a new work by Karina Johnson set to the music of Johnny Cash.
Tickets are $25 for the general public, $22 for NMU employees, seniors and military; $15 for youth; and free for NMU students as part of the Siril Series. They are available at nmu.edu/tickets.
