BY KAREN BOSSICK
Ballet dancers are being offered a rare opportunity to learn under some of the top dancers from around the world. And it’s all free.
Ballet Sun Valley will present its second annual Day for Dance Education on Thursday, July 19.
Dancers who will perform in the Ballet Sun Valley Festival July 17 and 18 at the Sun Valley Pavilion will teach the free hour-long dance classes at the Wood River YMCA and Community School.
In addition, The Festival’s Artistic Director Isabella Boylston will present a talk about her journey from her hometown of Sun Valley to the top of her industry as a Principal Dancer with American Ballet Theatre.
“You never know what will click with dancers. Maybe something will kick one of them into the next realm, give them the confidence to say, ‘I can do this. I can become a professional dancer,’ ” said Hilarie Neely, founder of Footlight Dance Centre.
There will be classes in three levels of ballet experience. And there will be a class in advanced variations on pointe and a class on Jazz dance. A special needs dance will be offered along with a question and answer session with dancer Calvin Royal III.
Each student will receive one non-transferrable Pavilion Terrace seat for one of the two Ballet Sun Valley performances. The performances will include works by Balanchine, Robbins, Wheeldon, Justin Peck and others.
Performers come from the Paris Opera Ballet, Royal Danish Ballet, Royal Swedish Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, New York City Ballet and San Francisco Ballet. (Tickets are available online at www.sunvalley.ticketfly.com or by calling 208-622-2135.
To be considered for a class, students must complete an application by July 15, which can be found on the Ballet Sun Valley website at www.balletsunvalley.com. A committee of dance instructors will select the students to be invited to participate.
For more information, contact Ally Weihe, director of Ballet Sun Valley Day for Dance Education, at education@balletsunvalley.com or 208-720-8770.