A Recap of Pointe Live Classes & Conversations 2024: Ballet at Its Best
We’re still buzzing about our second-annual Pointe Live! Classes & Conversations event. Over 55 dancers ages 10 to adult gathered at Manhattan Movement and Arts Center in New York City on Saturday, July 20, for master classes with three impressive guest artists, followed by an engaging Q&A session.
After a ballet barre warm-up, the dancers rotated among the three teachers. Each class was tailored to a specific theme.
Boston Ballet principal dancer Chyrstyn Mariah Fentroy focused on musicality. She encouraged students to listen to the layers within a piece of music. Then she asked them to make choices in the dynamics of their dancing to accent the music. The dancers experimented with these ideas in a high-energy contemporary ballet phrase choreographed by Fentroy.
Daniel Ulbricht, New York City Ballet principal and artistic advisor of Manhattan Youth Ballet, focused on technical execution in his classes. With detailed and individualized feedback, he helped participants hone their pirouettes and jumps. His class was both meticulous and joyful, and he rewarded dancers with fist bumps after they applied a correction.
Former Complexions Contemporary Ballet dancer Clifford Williams taught a NIQUE class, the signature technique of Complexions. He challenged dancers to channel the dramatic weight shifts and directional changes that are hallmarks of the company’s repertoire. The students got to try this distinctive movement quality while dancing fun phrases to jazzy grooves.
After a short break, everyone gathered for a Q&A with the guest artists, moderated by Pointe editor in chief Amy Brandt. She asked the teachers to reflect on the concept of perfectionism, an unrealistic ideal that dancers of all ages and skill levels can struggle with.
“You didn’t have a perfect double pirouette in your first-ever class, right?” Ulbricht asked the group, referring back to the classes he taught earlier. “Give yourself the grace to know that wherever you’re starting from, you’re not alone. A lot of people are dealing with the same insecurities as you.”
Fentroy reflected on how she found strength and confidence in her differences. “What makes me special is that I am not like everybody else,” she said. “I have something that’s mine, and it’s okay to not be the same as the person next to me. The way that we are unique is what makes art art.”
Continuing on the topic of comparison in dance, Williams talked about how watching other dancers during class in order to learn from them can be a positive thing. “You can teach each other,” he said. “It’s not called a dance company for nothing.”
One student asked about maintaining the drive and motivation necessary to improve. Fentroy said that on the days she is not feeling motivated, she taps into her love of music. Ulbricht said it takes resiliency, while Williams spoke about finding balance between dance and other parts of life.
We capped off a full day of dancing and learning with a photo opportunity and short individual chats with the guest artists. Thank you for sharing in our Pointe community. We look forward to dancing together again soon!
