A three-week intensive study for intermediate and advanced ballet students fully prepared for focusing on strengthing technique, artistry, and musical interpretation. The intensive offers personalized attention from world class instructors. The summer intensive culminates with a public performance.

Curriculum

Based on national standards, BTSI is a unique summer intensive,. The instructors are of the highest professional calibre and they teach classes limited to 10-20 students on a daily basis.The small class size creates a one on one learning experience that is not found in the larger intensives and opens the door to the greatest possibility of artistic deveopment.

Although students are selected by the audition/video process, final placement takes place at the end of the first day of the program. The schedule consists of daily ballet and pointe technique plus classes in modern, jazz, improvisations, classical variations, partnering, student choreography and choreography by faculty and guest artists.

The schedule runs Monday thru Saturday during Weeks 1 and 2. On Week 3 the schedule is Monday thru Friday. Classes begin 11:30AM and finish by 6:30PM. On Saturdays, classes/rehearsals are 10:00AM-4:00PM. This is a comprehensive program that requires full participation  with choreography beginning on the first day of the intensive. 

With acceptance into BTSI 2010, the dancer is agreeing to attend every class assigned and complete all three weeks of the program, including the performance on the last day, Friday, July 23 at 6:00PM at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Fine Arts Center, Hayes Concert Hall. The performance is open to the public and admission is free.

Outstanding guest artists for this BTSI are:

 Anna-Marie Holmes

Celebrated Ballerina, Master Teacher, Choreographer and Artistic Director

Ms. Holmes has appeared as a ballerina and has taught in more than 30 countries on five continents. Born in Canada, she trained with Heino Heiden, Lydia Karpova and Wynne Shaw; in London with Audrey de Vos and Errol Addison; and in addition received her grade 10 Certificate from the Royal Conservatory of Music in piano. Ms. Holmes is a recipient of the prestigious Dance Magazine Award for her extraordinary and lasting contribution to the art form. Formerly Artistic Director of the Boston Ballet, she is sought after by renowned companies and travels internationally to coach and teach.

Aline Schuerger

Currently, a soloist with Les Grandes Ballets Canadiens de Montreal, Ms. Schuerger is well remembered by Chattanooga audiences. She has guested in three different Ballet Tennessee venues-one BTSI 2004 when she performed the Paquita Pas de Deux and two appearances dancing lead roles in Mr. VanCura's Love Songs and Dream Awake. She was a principal dancer with Ballet Idaho/Eugene Ballet.  Ms. Schuerger is a medalist winner at the following ballet competitions: International Ballet Competition of Jackson, Mississippi, Concours International de Danse in Geneva and Prix de Lausaane. She has danced in Germany, Czechoslavakia, France, Portugal, China, and the Netherlands. She will be touring Europe with Grands Ballets Canadiens before she arrives to join us at BTSI.

Mr. Alford is a returning and popular guest artist. He brings the current jazz trends and technique to the summer intensive taught with his inimitable style and flare. He and his wife are cofounders of Dancecenter South in Atlanta. He trained, taught and toured with the legendary Gus Giordano Jazz Dance Chicago for a decade. He is the founding director of two very successful and well attended dance festivals in Atlanta, Jazz On Tap and Balletfest. Baby Love, his choreography which he set at BTSI 2008, was an audience favorite and crowd pleaser.

Anne Burton Avery

 George Ballanchine awarded her a Ford Foundation scholarship to the School of American Ballet and invited her to join the New Yok City Ballet. Mrs. Avery has her BFA in Ballet from the University of Utah. She directed the Permian Civic Ballet in Midland, Texas and has been on the faculties for the Southwestern Regional Ballet Association and on the dance panel for the Georgia Council for the Arts. In 1974, Dance Magazine wrote: if the regional movement has developed anyone who can justly claim the honorific title of "ballerina, Anne Burton certainly qualifies...". Mrs. Avery continued to teach for the Atlanta Centre for dance Education and Atlanta School for Ballet.

Marcus Bugler

Mr. Bugler is a native of Brisbane, Australia. He trained in Chicago with Stone & Camryn and performed in Ruth Page's Nutcracker. In New York, he went from scholarship student to dancer with the Harkness Youth Ballet in 1970, and then company dancer with the Harkness Ballet touring throughout Europe. In 1972, he became a member of the Metropolitan Opera Ballet and rose to the position of Repetiteur in 2001. He recently was ballet master of the Cirque du Soleil Las Vegas production. Mr. Bugler choreographed Energy Flow during BTSI 2002. The work featured Fredrick Davis, Lauren Day, Laurel Shastri, Mary Sloan, Brittany Johnson-Mills, Bethany Miller, Andrea Griggs, Julia Sanford, Sarah Smith, Hillary Jewell, Monica Coulter, and Kristin Burger.

Thomas Shoemaker

Mr. Shoemaker was a principal dancer with companies including the Atlanta Ballet, Miami City Ballet, Louisville Ballet, Augusta Ballet, and Charleston Ballet Theatre in a professional career that spanned 25 years. Mr. Shoemaker served as ballet master for the Augusta Ballet from 2001-2004. He is currently teaching and choreographing for the Vanderbilt University Dance Program in Nashville and co-directs the Ensworth School of Dance he founded with his wife, Sarah. He returns to BTSI for a fourth year.

Fredrick Davis

Registration

Registration Fee: $25 non-refundable. Once accepted into the program, the fee is due immediately after receiving acceptance letter. For applicants auditioning on site March 7, the registration fee is waived this year.

Tuition

$870 due May 15

Tuition Payments:

1st half of tuition ($435 plus $5) due May 15

2nd half of tuition ($435 plus $5) due June 24.

All tuition is made payable to : Ballet Tennessee

*If an extended tuition payment is needed, contact the ballet office to make appointment and discuss payment options.

Room/Board: $575 if you stay with host family. There are motels close to Ballet Tennessee with reasonable rates.

Late Payment

Payments must be received by the deadlines or assessed a $10 late charge. If an extended  payment plan is established, payments must be received on time or incur the $10 late charge.

Policy

• Hair must be worn in a standard classical bun. Check with instructors for hair requirements for modern and jazz.
• No jewelry except small pierced earrings
• No t-shirts, leg warmers or other warm up gear
• Dancers are not permitted to enter class late. Latecomers may watch class and take notes.
• Eating is only permitted in designated areas.
• Ballet Tennessee and VanCura Ballet Conservatory are not responsible for personal property.
• Ballet Tennessee and VanCura Ballet Conservatory reserve the right to limit any student's participation not adhering to class attire, policies, or any behavior deemed inappropriate.

Class Attire

For ballet and pointe classes:

• Females wear pastel or white leotard, matte pink tights with feet, short chiffon skirt (optional) for pointe,variations and partnering, and pink ballet and pointe shoes.
• Males wear white fitted t-shirt or tank leotard, black tights, white socks and white ballet shoes.
• Females need 2-3 (or more) pairs of pointe shoes for the intensive. A student with worn out shoes will be asked to audit class. It is the student's responsibility to buy, sew, and break in pointe shoes. Always be prepared for classes and rehearsals.

For all other classes:

• Females wear black leotard and (convertible foot) tights or unitard. Students should also bring yoga or jazz pants. Check with instructor.
• Males wear black fitted shirt and (convertible foot) tights or unitard. Check with instructor.

• Discussion with Guest Artists and Reports-Before Intensive starts, students are required to choose a prominent ballet dancer to research and write a 1-2 page report (double spaced). Dancers and faculty will discuss what each student has researched and share the findings.The report is to be presented orally to the class.