Dance, exercise and have fun this summer at the North Shore’s Marblehead School of Ballet (MSB), located at 115 Pleasant Street.
This cultural hub has an enriching line-up of classes for people of all ages and levels to expand their arts and dancing toolkit. The MSB’s renowned Summer Dance Intensive (SDI) takes place from July 7-26, and the Young Dancers’ Summer Intensive (YDSI) runs from Aug. 4-8. The school’s Summer Session for people of all ages runs from June 23-Aug. 16.
“The seasoned and avocational dancer will find high-quality, professional training at Marblehead School of Ballet. We work with each person to assess individual dance and exercise goals! During July, our Summer Dance Intensive offers a new, unique class – Martial Arts and Dance Fusion – blending expressive dance with martial arts-inspired movement with the use of Chinese martial arts fans. This dramatic and empowering prop used in performance traditions will expand our students’ knowledge of dance,” said Director Paula K. Shiff, who trained at the Boston Ballet School and performed with the Boston Ballet Company.
This summer, martial arts master Leda Elliot returns to the MSB to teach the class Martial Arts and Dance Fusion. Students will explore precise stances, sweeping gestures and stylized choreography rooted in Chinese Wushu. The pace is focused and intentional, helping dancers develop presence, coordination and expressive strength.
“This is not your usual dance class. Inspired by Chinese martial arts, we will use a fan – not soft and floaty, but sharp and bold. Learn to move with purpose, create dramatic shapes and channel inner strength through stillness and flow. It is low-impact but powerful – and it will leave a mark,” explained Elliot, the founder of A Thousand Cranes Studio and creator of QiFlow: The Five Seasons Method.
Elliot brings extensive studies, performances and competitions in dance and the martial arts of Chinese Wushu, as well as the healing arts of Tai Chi, Qi Gong and Reiki to MSB. Under Grandmaster Bow Sim Mark from the Chinese Wushu Research Institute and Tai Chi Arts Association, Elliot trained in competitive modern Wushu and traditional Wudang Tai Chi. She also studied dance at The Ballet of Arts at Carnegie Hall in Japan under Aiko Ohtaki, one of the first females to teach ballet in Japan, and at the Walnut Hill School for the Arts in Natick, Massachusetts.
The MSB invites dancers to apply to the school’s renowned SDI for dancers, ages 11 to adult. Students may sign up for one, two, three or a combination of weeks. During the first two weeks, individualized instruction is provided in ballet, modern technique, pointe and variations, as well as in the related disciplines of jazz, pilates, and more. Choreography will be the focus of the third week.
The YDSI is open for youngsters, ages 8-12 and over, from all dance levels. This intensive offers classes in ballet technique, improvisation, stretch and strength, rhythm, storytelling through movement, anatomy and more. Students receive individualized attention customized for their personal development. The Summer Intensives are sponsored in part by the Ruth N. Shiff Memorial Fund, which provides support for guest teachers and dance resources.
During the Summer Session, children, tweens, teens, adults and seniors will find something of interest in MSB’s open classes in pre-ballet, ballet, pointe, stretch and strength, ballroom and Latin, West Coast swing and Argentine tango. For children, classes are offered in pre-ballet, child ballet and creative movement. The partner dance series provides ballroom and Latin, West Coast swing and Argentine tango classes for ages 12 and up.
As in-studio space is limited, students are encouraged to register now. The SDI and the Summer Session programs will be held at 115 Pleasant Street in the historic, scenic coastal town of Marblehead. Students may register for the complete Summer Session or attend on a rolling basis. Visitors and tourists to the North Shore are welcome to attend and take an open class.
Details about the schedule and registration for the SDI can be found online here: https://tinyurl.com/MSB-summer. Registration for the Summer Session may be done here: https://tinyurl.com/MSB-session. For more information, call 781-631-6262 or contact via email at msb@havetodance.com.
