The Urbana Fine Arts Center was well represented at the YAGP 2020 Chicago Regional on February 6,7 and 8 with one ensemble, one duet and three solos.
“Endangered Species”, choreographed by Jade O’Connor.
Victoria Bagby and Natalie Pociask performed “My Sister’s Keeper”, also choreographed by Jade O’Connor.
Jasmine O’Connor performed a contemporary dance solo, “I Shall Wear a Crown”, choreographed by Corbin Philips.
Victoria Bagby danced “Princess Florine Variation” (M. Petipas), from the Ballet “The Sleeping Beauty”, and a contemporary dance solo, “Marionette”, choreographed by Jade O’Connnor.

Top, left to right: Victoria Bagby, Natalie Pociask and  Jasmine O'Connor.
Bottom, left to right: Maewn Eagles, Giann Wilson and Elle Graham.

After performing her two solos, Victoria Bagby was accepted at the Next Generation Ballet, FL for their Summer Intensive.

Victoria Bagby

Our school has participated in the YAGP January Chicago Regional on January 19 and we are proud to report our achievements.
Amanda Norcross represented our school performing a contemporary piece named “Drift Away” (choreography by Ashley Thopiah) and a classical solo from the ballet Coppelia.
After a flawless performance of "Swanhilda Variation" from the 1st act of Coppelia, Amanda Norcross placed in the top 12 in the senior classical division.
We also participated in the ensemble category with “Polar” a duet choreographed by both  Ashley Thopiah and Jade O’Connor and beautifully danced by Amanda Norcross and Jasmine O’Connor.
Our thanks to these two wonderful dancers for their performances and to the teachers and choreographers for all the work.

Amanda Norcross (2nd from the right) on stage receiving a top 12 placement certificate for the senior classical division.

On Sunday, November 17 we were hosted a Tap Dance Workshop conducted by MEGAN DAVIS .
Students ages 13 and older from different dance studios in the area attended this workshop designed for tap dance students at intermediate and advanced level.
This successful event was possible thanks to TANYA PICARD, who helped us to promote it.

​​MEGAN DAVIS started dancing in Austin, TX studying with Tri-Tone (under Tasha Lawson) and Tapestry Dance Company (under Acia Gray). In 2013, she moved to Chicago to pursue her dance and STEM career, earning a M.S. in pure mathematics in 2017. While studying, she was privileged to perform with MADD Rhythms (under Bril Barrett), Tapman Productions (under Tristan Bruns), and Stone Soup Rhythms (under director Lane Alexander and artist in residence Daniel Borak). Most recently, she performed in “Rhythm ISS… Returns!”, “MADD Rhythms: A Journey of the Dance Through Music”, and at various events for Chicago Human Rhythm Project’s Rhythm World Tap and Percussive Arts Festival. She debuted her choreography through Audible Odyssey’s artist in resonance program in “Persist: Tap Dance Made by Women”. In 2017 she was one of 25 dancers chosen to participate in the Jacob’s Pillow summer tap program directed by Michelle Dorrance and Dormeshia Sumbry-Edwards. Her choreography has been presented at Navy Pier through the Chicago Human Rhythm Project’s Rhythm World Tap and Percussive Arts Festival and MADD Rhythms Chicago Tap Summit.

Megan Davis, professional dancer, teacher and choreographer.

On Saturday, July 13 we were honored to have Valery Lantratov teaching a ballet master class at our studio.
We are very proud of our students for the excellent work during the class.

Valery Lantratov,
Artistic Director,
Russian National Ballet Foundation
 
Valery Lantratov has had a distinguished career as a dancer in the companies of Vladimir Vasiliev, Maya Plitsetskaya and Ekaterina Maximova and international tours with Rudolf Nureyev.   Most recently he has made international headlines for his role as Czar Nicholas II in a production of the new ballet Rasputin, with Farouk Ruzimatov of the Marinsky Theater (Kirov) and for successful international tours of Don Quixote and original choreography for the annual festival for the goddess Aphrodite in Cypruss.
 
A graduate of the Moscow Academic Choreographic College, Lantratov was selected as a first soloist with the Moscow Stanislavski Ballet.    With the theater he danced principal roles in such ballets as Don Quixote, Copellia and Romeo and Juliet.  He has received accolades in the Russian and international press for his strong technique, personality and expressiveness.  
In 1993, Lantratov began working for the Kremlin Ballet.  This same year, he formed the Russian National Ballet Foundation.  He has toured as a solo guest artist in such countries as Japan, Germany, Italy, Greece, France, Portugal, Spain and the United States.  The Russian National Ballet Foundation has toured in Europe, Asia, The Middle East and the United States.
In 1997, Russian president Boris Yeltsin named Valery Lantratov “ People’s Artist of Russia,” the Russian Federation’s highest artistic honor.
Mr. Lantratov holds a teaching certificate Russia's renowned National Academy of Theatrical Arts- GITIS.*  For three years, Mr. Lantratov served as a guest instructor at the Boston Ballet.
With his Russian National Ballet Foundation, Lantratov is able to realize his goal of introducing new audiences throughout the world to some of the finest classical works of Russia.  “No matter what might happen between the countries in the world, dance can deliver peace, compassion and art—eternal values.”
 
*GITIS' ballet department was founded in 1946 under A. Gorsky, R. Zakharov and Leonid Lavaovsky of the Bolshoi Ballet with equal state funding to the Bolshoi. It is the only institute in Russia to offer a diploma in choreography and direction for ballet theatre.  Its distinguished ballet masters include Vladimir Vassiliev (director of the Bolshoi, retired), Nadja Pavlova (prima ballerina absoluta of the Bolshoi, retired) and Katirina Maximova (prima ballerina absoluta of the Bolshoi, retired). 
​

For the past two years, we have been hosting a Modern dance Workshop conducted by Andrew Cribbett.
Andrew Cribbett came to our studio on June 27 and 28 to teach two classes to students ages 7 to 12 and two classes to students ages 13 and up.
The event was broadcasted at the local news by WCIA.

Andrew Cribbett, originally from Thomasboro, Illinois, began his dance training at the age of six. He trained with Christine Rich and Luciana Rezende at the Christine Rich Studio Dance Academy and Performing Arts Center in Savoy, IL. At the age of 16, he received a full scholarship to The Washington School of Ballet in Washington D. C. He attended Duke Ellington School of the Arts to finish his senior year of High School. Andrew has received scholarships to attend summer intensives at Washington School of Ballet, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, The Rock School of Ballet in Philadelphia, and Faubourg Ballet Chicago. He is
a professional dancer with the Eisenhower Dance Company and a proud teacher.
Currently , Mr. Cribbett is
directing a Black Box Theatre, based in Detroit. ​
​

This summer we are offering intensive training to our ballet students and we have brought several guest teachers.
Two of them are internationally renowned ballet teachers and came to our studio to share their knowledge with our students during our first two weeks.
Olena Nalyvaico, a former professional ballet dancer from Ukraine was at the studio on June 11 and 12 for ballet, pointe and variation classes.
From June 26 to 28 we were honored with the visit of Watmora Casey. Mr. Casey is the artistic director of Fauburg Theatre and has been recognized as outsanding teacher by various organizations like the Youth American Grand Prix and Dance Teacher Magazine to name a few. His students have gone out to dance in international professional dance companies.
Our summer intensives continue until August 2 featuring classes for students ages 9 to 12 in the mornings and classes for students ages 13 and older in the afternoons. Classes will be conducted by our staff, as well as by other guest teachers.

We are proud to announce that Tanya Picard will be teaching the Intermediate/Advanced Tap Class at our studio this summer!
Our summer session will run from June 10 to August 2nd and the Intermediate/Advanced Tap class will take place every Wednesday, from 6:00 to 7:00 PM.
For registration and information: www.urbanafineartscenter.com

​TANYA PICARD is a master teacher and choreographer from the Chicago area.  She began dancing at the age of five, and has studied at Gus Giordano Dance in Chicago; modern at the Martha Graham Dance Center in New York; tap with Bob Audy and Charles “Cookie” Cook in New York, as well as Lane Alexander and Chicago Human Rhythm Project in Chicago; and jazz with dance legend Luigi. She currently teaches workshops in Luigi Technique both locally and elsewhere in the U.S.  Tanya did her graduate work in directing at the University of Minnesota and served as the Artistic Director of Pasticcio Dance Ensemble and Danza, both contemporary companies.  While in Minneapolis, she also worked as a choreographer for the Renaissance Faires in Chicago and Boston, creating the original “Gypsy Dancers.”  Her academic area is dance history, with a particular interest in early 20th century dance.  She was delighted to discover Jennifer Sprowl’s classes in Isadora Duncan technique at the Joffrey Ballet, and has been studying with Jennifer ever since and is active in Duncan Dance Chicago.    Beginning in 2011, Tanya has created unique pieces that fuse text, tap, modern, jazz dance, and music that have been presented at the Spurlock Museum at the University of Illinois.  She is an active participant in Chicago Human Rhythm Project and studies and works with renowned tap dancer Jimmy Payne, Jr., who has created several pieces for Impulse Tap Ensemble.  Her favorite quote is, “To dance, put your hand over your heart and listen to the sound of your soul.”

After a beautiful performance at the YAGP Chicago Regional on January 12, our Ensemble piece "Unaffected When We Join" was invited to perform at the Youth America Grand Prix Finals in New York in April.

​Congratulations to our students and our thanks to Andrew Cribbet for choreographing such a beautiful piece.
​

Jade O'Connor, Jasmine O'Connor and John Tubbs - Urbana Fine Arts Center students performing "Unaffected When we Join".

Andrew Cribbet - Choreographer.

Also, after a polished performance of the "Paquita Pas de Trois Variation" at the YAGP 2019 Chicago Regional, our student  John Tubbs was offered a scholarship to attend the Bolshoi Academy summer intensive in Connecticut.
Congratualtions to our talented and dedicate student and thanks to his supportive parents,  John and Catherine.

John Tubbs and Luciana Rezende.

Congratulations to our students Lily Summers, Victoria Bagby, Jasmine O'Connor, Jade O'Connor and John Tubbs for the great work and beautiful pergformances in solos and group pieces.
Thank you so much parents and friends for supporting our wonderful students.

From left to right: John Tubbs, Jasmine O'Connor, Victoria Bagby, Jade O'Connor and Lily Summers.

Urbana Fine Arts Center will offer Yoga Dance Class starting January 17, 2019.
THURSDAYS from 10:00 to 11:00 AM
Ages 18 and older.
Price: $15.00 per class or $ 225.00 for the full semester (18 classes).
Classe will be conducted by Chloe Nagle.
Click here for registration.

CLOE NAGLE is a teacher, choreographer, and performer. She received her MFA in Dance at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in 2018 and a BFA with Honors in Performance and Choreography from the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee in 2015. Nagle has performed her choreography at the Krannert Center for Performing Arts, Danceworks Milwaukee, Milwaukee Summer Series, and BATES Dance Festival Young Choreographer's Showcase. She has performed with Wildspace Dance Company as a performance intern and has worked with choreographers in academic contexts including Charli Brissey, Sara Hook, Deb Loewen, Rebecca Stenn, Keely Garfield, Luc Vanier, Elise Frost, and Ping Chong. She is currently working toward a 200 hour Yoga Teacher certification at Amara Yoga and Arts.

Yoga Dance is an experimental dance class that integrates yoga principles and movements with Contemporary Modern Dance techniques.
​Ideal for anyone who wants to develop their artistry as a dancer, expand their technical toolbox, or deepen their awareness of their body in motion. No prior experience with yoga or dance is necessary.

​Urbana Fine Arts Center will host a series of Tai Chi Classes, conducted by Scott Bloomer, an accredited Yang style Tai Chi instructor.
Classes are designed for students ages 18 and older.
The first session will start on November 7 and end on December 19, 2018.
Classes will be held on Wednesdays, from 12:00 to 12:45 PM.
Price is $ 5.00 per class, plus a one time donation of a can of non perishable food for the food bank.

​Tai chi is a form of gentle, slow movement that combines stretching and mindfulness. The slow movements relieve stress and anxiety.
Tai chi is ideal for adults because the movements do not put too much stress on the muscles and joints. 

​•better mood, with lower levels of depression, stress, and anxiety
•greater aerobic capacity and muscle strength
•more energy and stamina
•enhanced flexibility, balance, and agility
•lower blood pressure and improved heart health
•reduced Inflammation
•fewer falls