Global Ballet Workshops 2007 in Czech Republic

A Summer Ballet Diary- Experience Czech Republic '07


Summer 2007, the fortunate students of California DanceArts located in La Canada Ca., prepared for the ultimate summer experience with a 4 week program provided by the Los Angeles International Ballet Intensive. Foreign students from as far away as Mexico, Canada and France joined local students to study with school faculty, including director Erin Holt and guest teachers Molly Lynch and Israel Gabriel from the University of California Irvine, Preston Lee from the National Ballet of China, jazz teacher Steven Woodruff and Aerialist Rachel Bowman who introduced students to the exciting new world of aerial ballet. The program gave foreign students the opportunity to experience some of the best ballet and contemporary offerings of Los Angeles.

Ten students from the LA intensive were chosen to participate for another challenging four weeks in the city of Ostrava, Czech Republic. Erin Holt was an invited guest teacher and choreographer at the Ostrava Ballet Workshop (OBW) in coordination with the Prague International Ballet. Ms. Holt joined an amazing faculty including Igor Vejsada-director of the Ostrava Ballet, Jana Kurova, former Prima ballerina of the Prague National Ballet Theater and Yehuda Moar, former principal dancer of Bat Dor Dance Company. Furthermore, Ms Holt’s company, California Contemporary Ballet was invited to perform works of Ms. Holt’s original choreography for their own evening at the famous Janacek Conservatory. Ms. Holt offered to share some of her journal entries regarding the experience.

A Ballet Diary
By Erin Holt

July 15, 07- It is the final week of the LA Int’l Ballet Intensive. I have genuinely enjoyed every student and I feel so fortunate to be able to offer such fantastic teachers. El Gabriel’s class is so interesting; I wish that I could observe the class everyday. Aerial Ballet is SO COOL. The students climb up the red silk scarves, hang upside down, spin and dance gracefully in the air. Our show will feature an aerial demonstration, variations and dances directed by each guest teacher. It’s been a lot of work. I’m tired… I haven’t even packed yet.

July 20- The LA Int’l Ballet Intensive show was a big success. I’m going to be up all night packing. We all fly tomorrow and meet at the airport at noon!!!! Excited.

July 23 (Monday, I think). Total Jet lag. Flight to London was very long…Movies on the flight were great…but airplane food…aggh! We had to get all our bags and transfer to Czech Air in London and took a tiny little plane to Ostrava. Jana and Igor met us at the airport. They hugged and kissed me on both cheeks and took us all to our hotels. Woke up this morning early and our driver (yeah…teachers have their own driver to take us to the Conservatory and back in a Mercedes!) took us to the Janacek Conservatory. Beautiful facilities! Three nice sized studios. All the teachers were invited to watch the audition class and to help group the students into separate classes. Jana taught the class. She has amazing feet! She taught a brilliant class. The students look sharp. The level is high. It’s gong to be fun to work with the faculty and students here. After the class and a short briefing we were all told that we could go to our hotel room’s to sleep. My hotel room is great. But...it is too far away from the student hotel. I hope my kids enjoyed their first day.

July 29, Sunday-Wow! What a week. I’ve been teaching my modern class everyday. I’m having so much fun. Some of the dancers are getting their first Graham experience and they are soaking it in like sponges. Triplets around the room, Graham falls to the floor….students complain of bruises on the shins and all the usual sore muscles. Tomorrow I will work fewer floor exercises and try a modern dance barre, then concentrate on traveling across the room and get into the dance we will perform. Two dancers from Asia, Yuriko and Sauri, really knock me out. I found out today that they are both members of Igor’s company. All the teachers had a meeting and now I finally have a rehearsal schedule for my performance on the 10th. Doesn’t seem like enough time. I will have to work fast.

August 4, Saturday-What a great day. I watched Igor rehearse with my Ryan who is enjoying Igor’s personal attention. He is creating a pas de duex for him and Yuriko which is really lovely. I audited Karin Averty’s class. She was principal ballerina from the Paris Opera. What a fun energetic teacher she is. The kids are so inspired by her. She and Yehuda then came to observe my modern class. We had so much fun. I decided to do some improvisation exercises and all the dancers where suddenly everywhere dancing and having the best time. We finished my new dance “America” which has an improvisational ending. I love Yehuda. He said that my class was so alive that it made the whole day so exciting to him. I’m glad he likes my new dance. It’s about deep southern American roots. I thought it might be interesting to share some of America with my new European friends. I’m glad they like it.

August 5, Sunday- Went to the old city square with the kids. I took photos of them dancing in the cobblestone streets. Ostrava is an old mining town with old historic buildings and romantic little coffee shops. We found a good restaurant and ate a regional Czech dessert called Marlenka. It is a special cake made with honey. Yumm. Later, I went out with all the teachers to Stadioni Street, famous for its nightlife. Igor mentioned to me that he was interested in Ryan (my lead male dancer). He could give Ryan a nice position in his company with contract and a salary, giving him reasonable living. The whole idea makes me both proud and sad (I’ve trained him since he was Three!) I will miss him. I know it’s for the best… it will be hard, But I can’t wait to tell him the news.

August 8, Wednesday- Dress rehearsal for my show at the Conservatory. We had a good rehearsal today. I’m encouraged that my dancers will be ready to perform on the 10th. We are dancing the same choreography from our last show in LA called “Blind Journey”. I have had to replace two dancers and the stage here is very different so I have had to make some changes. But I am very proud of myself as I had very little time to design the lighting for the evening and did it mostly myself. Of course I couldn’t do it without Thomas who works lighting magic and made great suggestions. I sure hope we dazzle Ostrava and that the evening is a big success.

August 11, Saturday- Well, I think we DID dazzle. I was particularly honored when Jana and Igor presented me with flowers and gifts on stage. The dancers, the lighting…everything was near to perfect. Seeing my dancers and choreography on the European stage …well, I just want to go to sleep and keep dreaming about the beautiful evening.

August 12, Sunday- More congratulations from students and faculty on a successful evening. I’m happy. Tonight we all gathered to see films of the teachers in their dancing days. Jana’s film is extraordinary. What an amazing dancer she was! This next week is all about rehearsals for the final workshop Gala performances. I will present “Americana” and “Regrets”.

August 19, Sunday- The gala is wonderful. All of Ostrava showed up. Each student is shown off by performing variations and contemporary dances created by the faculty. I am so honored to be part of this. What a great experience for all the students and especially my Ryan who has won the ultimate award. He will return home to LA and come back to dance with the Ostrava Ballet Company in January 2008. I am happy that he wants to finish the year at our school first.

*Up-date:
Ryan was presented with several additional opportunities and chose to stay in America. He continues to perfrom with the CCBallet and we are fortunate to have him.

* This Ballet Diary was generously published in the Los Angeles Dance Resource Magazine Novemeber 2007.

Want to see samples of Erin Holt's choreography? Click here!
California Contemporary Ballet on YouTube! Must See! Also, see videos featuring Erin's choreography at the Ostrava Ballet Workshop in the Czech Republic.

For more information about California DanceArts, Los Angeles International Ballet Intensive, Global Ballet Workshops offered in 2009 Call 818-790-7924