Commedia Dell’arte and Harlequinade – A History
Here at the Gelsey Kirkland Academy of Classical Ballet, we are preparing to present “An Evening of Commedia & Classicism” on May 17th & 18th. Our student showcase and studio company performance will feature a one-act ballet in the first part of the program, Harlequinade. This not so well known ballet is full of charming [...]
The Gelsey Kirkland Academy: Teaching the Art of Storytelling in Dance
By Andrew Blackmore-Dobbyn, The Huffington Post Written with Ellen Dobbyn-Blackmore posted 05/10/2013 During her dancing career Gelsey Kirkland was known for her particular ability to get to the heart of a character in the great classic story ballets. In her second career as a teacher she has combined forces with her husband and [...]
Sleeping Beauty – A History
The Sleeping Beauty is one of the greatest and well-treasured story ballets of all time. The epitome of classical ballet, it is considered to be the most authentic of Petipa’s work. Inspired by Charles Perrault, (who paved the way to a new category of storytelling – from folk tales to fairytales), Marius Petipa decided to create [...]
What the New Year has brought so far to GKA
It’s a new year, and here at the Gelsey Kirkland Academy we are now well into the second semester of the 2012-2013 academic year. We would like to share with you some of the exciting new developments that are happening at GKA. Firstly, in addition to our diverse and talented students in the Academy programs [...]
Phone Bidding Available for tonight’s event – Gelsey by Sorine
Dear Friends, For those of you who cannot attend our November 12th Reception and Silent Auction, ‘Gelsey by Sorine’ at the Society of Illustrators New York, NY, we are offering a call-in for bidding on these beautiful photos of Gelsey Kirkland taken in 1979. Call-in time will be from 7:45 to 8:15pm EST. If you [...]
2013 Summer Intensive Audition Tour Announced!
GKA is excited to announce our 2013 Summer Intensive Audition Tour! To register for an audition location, please click HERE!
Andrew Blackmore-Dobbyn from the Huffington Post writes about GKA
The Gelsey Kirkland Academy: A Safe Haven for Dancers Written by: Andrew Blackmore-Dobbyn Posted: 09/10/2012 12:53 pm on The Huffington Post http://www.huffingtonpost.com/andrew-blackmore-Dobbyn/ballet-dance-art-_b_1854884.html Gelsey Kirkland and Michael “Misha” ChernovWhen Gelsey Kirkland arrived at American Ballet Theatre in 1974 it was the beginning of the transformation of the company. In much the same way that Mikhail Baryshnikov [...]
“A Dancer’s Mind” – Check out the incredible Dance Studio Life interview with our very own Wellness Instructor, Elizabeth Sullivan
Using psychology to improve physical performance By James Careless Dancers tend to think in physical terms when it comes to self-improvement, practicing more and eating less and trying to convert their bodies into ideal “dancing machines” through sheer will and perseverance. Often, the result is that dancer psychology gets very little attention; let alone respect. [...]