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The Professional Project: Je Me Souviens By LUKE WILEY
After years of dancers coming to her for advice about summer programs, Alexandra Wells, ballet instructor and mentor at Juilliard, created a unique program to address their needs. Thus was born the Professional Project, an intensive, three-week program in Montreal that she founded three years ago, and which I was fortunate enough to take part in the past two summers. "There's a whole dance world out there, just across the border," Wells says. "All of these great companies exist in Montreal, so I thought, 'Why don't students apprentice during the summer?'"
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| In the first week of the Professional Project, a daily workshop offers participants the chance to work with a variety of choreographers. (Photo by Michael Slobodian) |
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Although the program was created specifically with Juilliard students in mind, Wells handpicks the dancers from schools all across North America: "I only take artists who are special, extraordinary human beings." With this in mind, she's created the opportunity for participants to work with choreographers, teachers, and companies in an innovative dance environment.This summer, dancers took morning classes taught by Denise Biggi of the Paris Opera Ballet; Jean-Yves Esquerre, ballet master for Les Ballets Jazz de Montreal; and Wells. Every afternoon of the first week, dancers were divided into groups and learned repertoire, working with Les Ballets Jazz de Montreal, O Vertigo, Foundation Jean-Pierre Perreault, Louise Bedard, and Nathalie Buisson teaching Nacho Duato repertory. They even got to experience a mock-audition with representatives from Cirque du Soleil.During the last two weeks of the program, each dancer worked exclusively in one company setting. One group learned Circle Songs by Shawn Hounsel, under the auspices of Les Ballets Jazz. Another group worked with Sylvain Émard on the creation of a new contemporary piece. Yet another group got to assist Hélène Blackburn in the creation of a large ensemble work. I was part of a group that worked with Margie Gillis, utilizing her techniques of experimentation and exploration. Brynt Beitman, another Juilliard senior, and I were also fortunate to be among the four emerging choreographers who created works on the Professional Project participants while being mentored by Margie Gillis. On the final evening of the program, all of the works were presented in a showing for the Montreal dance community.Wells explains the dancers' daily schedule: "Each day begins with a ballet class, then we go on to rehearsals just like a professional company. I want to match dancers' strengths with choreographers who will stretch them." Caitlin Brown, a graduate of Arts Umbrella in Vancouver, Canada, concurs: "You're not treated as a student, but as an emerging dancer." Though everyone walks away with a different experience, many noted similar things. Idan Sharabi, a third-year dancer at Juilliard, appreciated the fact that "corrections are more about dynamics, about why you do a step and not always about achieving the physicality of the step."As for the diversity of dancing, Claire McKeveny, a Marymount Manhattan graduate, commented: "It's reinforced my idea of the dancer as a chameleon, being able to adjust constantly during the day. Also your ability to absorb information, store it away and then get it out when you need it. You process it all overnight and do it better the next day." The intense daily schedule challenged dancers' passion and drive. "Your body will collapse at the end of the day, but your hunger for going farther becomes stronger, greedier," said Sahara Morimoto, a National Ballet School of Canada graduate.T summer, the Project's 50 dancers came from more than 15 dance schools and conservatories around the U.S. and Canada. Beitman commented: "It's really cool that it's a small number of dancers; everyone gets attention." Larry Trice, a junior at Boston Conservatory, even went so far as to say: "You can't even compare this to other summer programs! They figure out the right individual place for you. Alexandra Wells is amazing, I can't ask for a better person to talk to—she wants to take care of everyone." Juilliard senior Brian McNeil recommends the program for third- and fourth-year dancers: "It's only three weeks long, but you can't leave Montreal empty-handed. There's a wide range of movement for you to experience that doesn't come close to ballet. For people looking for jobs, there are so many choreographers—there's great potential for work." Bobbi Smith, a third-year dancer at Juilliard, was moved by her experience at the Foundation Jean-Pierre Perreault: "The moment I stepped into the Foundation, I felt like I had walked into a sacred space that treated dance the way it should be treated. It was almost like going to a church for dance." McKeveny added definitively: "The arts are a daily experience here. There isn't the same push to always make new work that makes money. I'm interested in art pushing society forward, and I'm not so sure that's happening in other places … I even rehearsed in a space for dance, supported by the government."
For the past two years I have been grateful to be a part of this program. It thrills me to know that there is a place for dance that welcomes experimentation, questioning, and excitement in being alive. Dancing with Margie Gillis and 12 other dancers was a sacred, magic, and hilarious experience. We learned how to be curious again. We became experts on our own fears and insecurities and learned to let the dance take care of them. We learned to laugh at ourselves. Dancing with and being mentored by Margie for the young choreographers program, I learned how to trust my body, trust my creativity, and trust my decisions—all in a few weeks!Of the uniqueness of the Montreal dance scene, Wells comments: "It's the only city that has 40 substantially funded companies. It's the contemporary dance mecca of North America. There's new creative energy; it's avant-garde—people can try things, they can get experimental, move forward and be supported by the public." Anyone who knows the frustrations of being a New York dancer will appreciate this city, which appreciates dance and dancers.Luke Wiley is a fourth-year dance student.
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