Axelrod Contemporary Ballet Theater (AXCBT), part of the Axelrod Performing Arts Center in Deal Park, New Jersey, fulfills a desired community need by offering a free, multi-faceted virtual dance and theater program. workshops in response to the national “Stay at Home” order starting in March.
Since then, AXCBT has enjoyed impressive attendance and garnered rave and grateful reviews from students and parents. To kick off the program, Axelrod Contemporary Ballet Theater director and choreographer Gabriel Chajnik presented his first online Advanced Ballet Workshop (March 27) with students not only from New Jersey but across the country – and they’ve “tuned” and danced along ever since.
Renowned dance professionals join Chajnik in the company’s mission to offer “distance dancing”: Michel Trusnovec famous Paul Taylor Dance Company – hailed by The New York Times as “one of the world’s brightest dancers,” Dylan Pearce, assistant choreographer for Radio City Music Hall’s Christmas Spectacular, Gabriela Soto, who is featured as a “Shark Girl” in Stephen Spielbergthe highly anticipated WEST SIDE STORY, and Jessica Sgambelluri of Martha Graham and the José Limón dance companies. Perhaps even more impressive than the credentials of these advertised instructors is the fact that they have donated their time and talents to enable the Axelrod Performing Arts Center and AXCBT to give back during these difficult times.
AXCBT staff also benefits from a wide range of talented artists and instructors, including Tuyana Balzhieva of the Moscow and Roxey Ballet Companies, Lindsay Jorgensen and Olivia Miranda, both recent graduates of the Ailey/Fordham Dance Program , Wendy Roman, who teaches a range of courses. from preschool movement for beginners to triple threat musical theater for middle schoolers, and thomas ryan Ward (also a graduate of Fordham University) who inspired students to explore poetic creation and combine it with dance, as well as teaching theater to dancers.
Board members and staff at Axelrod Performing Arts Center share, “The positive feedback and rave reviews regarding our virtual workshops over the past few weeks have been exciting and rewarding. It is our pleasure to continue to provide high quality instruction and impeccable guest artists to students and adults eager for arts-based education.” Workshops and information about AXCBT are available at www.axelrodartscenter.com Where www.axcbt.org
