News & Events

Post Thanksgiving: 1-Week Remote

November 13, 2020

There has been a surge in COVID cases in Connecticut. If a student or anyone with whom a student has had contact is not feeling well we ask that you stay home and consult your physician. In an effort to ensure the health and safety of the New Haven Ballet community, the COVID Task Force has recommended that NHB suspend studio classes for one week following the Thanksgiving Holiday. 

Additionally, the COVID Task Force has recommended protocols for those who are traveling or hosting guests over Thanksgiving. Click here for the Thanksgiving Holiday Protocols. Please review them carefully and let me know if you have any questions.

NHB’s Thanksgiving break is Wednesday, November 25 through Sunday, November 29, 2020. NHB will be closed November 25-29. 

If you attend studio classes, you will be sent Zoom links to attend those classes remotely November 30-December 6. 

Studio classes resume December 7.

We are so grateful for your commitment to keeping the NHB community safe and healthy!

Shared Ability

Weekly dance workshops for differently abled artists begins Saturday, October 3!

New Haven Ballet will once again offer studio and Zoom dance workshops facilitated by NHB faculty member, Kerry Kincy. Call Tel. 203-782-9038 or Email: administrator@newhavenballet.org for more information. Free trial class available.

Audition: NHBC

Artistic Director, Lisa Sanborn, is pleased to announce auditions for New Haven Ballet Company will be held on Saturday, September 26, 2020, from 2:30-6:00 p.m. Level 6 through 8 students are invited to audition. The Company will present a professionally filmed performance in December 2020.

To register for the audition email: administrator@newhavenballet.org or Tel. 203-782-9038

Corelli Adagio Performance Video

Photo: Thomas Giroir Photography (c) 2020

Studio Protocols: Travel Advisory

New Haven Ballet’s Studio Protocols describe requirements, which you must adhere to in order to participate in studio classes. These requirements include staying home if you or someone to whom you have had close contact is sick, wearing masks, social distancing, and adhering to travel restrictions.

Domestic Travel —

The Connecticut Travel Advisory places restrictions on visitors from dozens of states, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands. The most recent Executive Order from the Governor has led to a major change for many in our community: 

If you are coming from one of the restricted states or locations, you will have to quarantine for 14 days upon arriving in Connecticut.

Under State regulations, a negative test taken prior to coming to Connecticut is no longer a substitute for quarantining. 

You must also fill out the Connecticut Travel Health Form. Please visit CT.gov for a list of restricted states, and keep in mind that this list is subject to change due to health conditions across the country. 

International students should follow the guidance outlined on the CDC website, but in most cases will also quarantine for 14 days upon arriving in Connecticut.

Thank you for your cooperation and assistance in keeping our studios safe. We are excited to see you on August 31!

Arts for Anti Racism

Arts for Anti Racism Pledge

In order to become more anti-racist, New Haven Ballet pledges to make these changes:

New Haven Ballet encourages our community members to join us. For information on ways we are working to meet this pledge Click Here.

Workshop: Kaitlyn Gilliland Teaches Twyla Tharp’s The One Hundreds

Workshop: Kaitlyn Gilliland teaches Twyla Tharp’s The One Hundreds

Fall 2020 Zoom Class for Levels 5+
Fridays, 6:00-7:30 p.m.

Kaitlyn Gilliland teaches a movement workshop developed from Twyla Tharp’s seminal The One Hundreds (1970), a dance composed of 100 eleven-second movement phrases performed by two dancers in unison without music. Featuring a uniquely engaging curriculum designed to challenge the dancer’s technique, stamina, concentration, and attention to timing and meter, this workshop offers a rare opportunity to unpack the remarkable density of Tharp’s myriad choreographic inspirations – from ballet to baseball – while extending the reach of classical training through the exploration of contemporary and modern dance aesthetics, structured improvisation, and characterization and pedestrian gesture.

This workshop is suitable for both a studio and virtual setting and can accommodate dancers working with limited space. It will conclude with an opportunity for all participating students to share their progress.

NY Times Review:
https://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/22/arts/dance/review-twyla-tharps-the-one-hundreds-math-thats-easy-on-the-eyes.html

Kaitlyn Gilliland Bio:
Kaitlyn Gilliland began her dance training at the Minnesota Dance Theatre and continued her studies at the School of American Ballet, where she received the Mae L. Wien Award for outstanding promise in 2004. From 2006 to 2011, Ms. Gilliland performed corps, soloist, and principal roles with the company and was named the New York City Ballet’s Janice Levin Dancer Honoree for 2009-­‐2010. Following her departure from New York City Ballet, Ms. Gilliland appeared with several New York City-­‐based dance companies, joining Twyla Tharp for her 2015 50th Anniversary National Tour and two subsequent performance seasons and Benjamin Millepied’s L.A. Dance Project for their 2017-­‐ 2018 season. Ms. Gilliland served on the faculty of the School of American Ballet and as an instructor for The New York City Public School for Dance (The Ballet Tech School). In May of 2015, she graduated summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa from Columbia University with a degree in Psychology. She is currently an MBA candidate at the Yale School of Management and Program Director for Minnesota Dance Theatre’s CAN Dance Education Program. Ms. Gilliland joined the faculty of New Haven Ballet in 2019.

John Clifford

New Haven Ballet is excited to announce that Week 1’s Ballet Talk guest speaker is John Clifford.

John Clifford, Artistic Advisor and Choreographer, is best known as founder and artistic director of the original Los Angeles Ballet, and as a principal dancer and choreographer with New York City Ballet. He is widely considered to be Balanchine’s choreographic protégé.

Trained in Los Angeles, John Clifford produced his early work for the Western Ballet Association, where he was a principal dancer and choreographer. After viewing rehearsals of Mr. Clifford’s ballets, George Balanchine invited Clifford to move to New York and choreograph for his School of American Ballet. In 1966, at the age of 19, Clifford joined the New York City Ballet, where he quickly became a principal dancer and resident choreographer. During his tenure there he choreographed numerous ballets and danced leading roles. Mr. Clifford became the first American male guest artist in history to dance with the Paris Opera Ballet.

Mr. Clifford also has a book, “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice: From Hollywood to Balanchine and Back,” that will coming out soon!

July Studio+Zoom

New Haven Ballet is​ reopening the school in a limited fashion for students in Levels 4-8 during July 2020. Levels 4-8 may enjoy morning Zoom only offerings. For those who are ready to resume studio work, New Haven Ballet is accepting a select number of students who are committed to their summer training by attending Zoom classes in the mornings followed by small studio classes one or two afternoons/evenings each week.

Students enrolled in morning Zoom classes will be prioritized for access to studio classes as afternoon/evening offerings are extremely limited at this time.

All levels (ages 4-Adult) will be offered online Zoom classes during July 2020. Private/duet lessons by our incredible faculty are also available to enrolled students in Levels 2-8.

Our top priority remains ensuring the health and safety of our students, faculty and administrators. Health and safety protocols have been established for studio classes, with students who wish to participate in studio classes being required to complete a medical questionnaire and waiver in addition to strict adherence to new protocols.

Click Here for Schedules, Tuition & Protocols

Video Yearbook

We are compiling a video yearbook of our Level 1-8 students. We have eight questions we would like you to answer.

You must submit your unlisted YouTube video link by Friday, June 12, 2020 to: video@newhavenballet.org

To help you with the process please click on the following links to see the pdf video yearbook guide and a YouTube video that describes how to create an unlisted video.

Once your unlisted video has been uploaded you will receive an email that will allow you to delete the unlisted video if you wish.

If you have any questions please email: video@newhavenballet.org

We look forward to seeing your videos!

FREE Gyrokinesis Class

New Haven Ballet is pleased to introduce Dorothea Garland who will be offering Gyrokinesis class FREE to NHB students on Wednesday, April 29, at 4:30 p.m. via Zoom. This live online class is open to all Level 5-8 students. If you are interested please email: administrator@newhavenballet.org.

About Dorothea Garland

Dorothea Garland is from Framingham, MA and trained at New England Ballet, Boston Ballet Center for Dance Education, and later Mercyhurst College. She danced with Columbia Classical Ballet in South Carolina and Jose Mateo’s Ballet Theater of Boston before moving to New York City, where she has lived and danced for the last 15 years. She currently dances for Ballets with a Twist, Continuum Contemporary Ballet, East Coast Contemporary Ballet and Cherylyn Lavagnino Dance. In addition to dancing Ms. Garland teaches ballet and the Gyrotonic Method.

About Gyrokinesis

The Gyrotonic Method is a movement system that allows the body to experience and expand its full range of motion, by increasing strength and flexibility within muscles and joints through a structured series of exercises which are performed in circular pathways. Gyrokinesis is the foundation of this movement system and requires minimal to no equipment. It is a wonderful tool for anyone of any age, and has a particular benefit to dancers. This method stimulates and connects muscles, allowing for greater control and knowledge of the body and spine. It increases extension, improves alignment and strength and ultimately creates a greater physical prowess through an overall wider range of motion. It is an unmatched supplement and complement to a dancers training.

FREE Meditation Classes

New Haven Ballet is pleased to offer a new FREE online class: Mindfulness/Meditation (Corbin), Tuesday/Thursday, 2:00-2:30 p.m.

Come experience FREE live Meditation classes participants describe as, “an essential restorative,” and “de-stressing experience” that allows you to “recharge and recalibrate!”

Mindfulness/Meditation Class Description:

During this especially stressful time, this non-movement class (though there may be gentle body movement that is stationary) will use brief, guided sessions to concentrate on helping you make connections between the mind, body and spirit. 

Through grounding techniques that bring you back to the moment, mindfulness utilizes ideas that will help to recenter you in times of stress. Taking time to breathe and visualize can help to alleviate pressures that everyone faces at this difficult time. Because you will be asked to lower your gaze or close your eyes, seeing Gail is not as important as hearing her voice.

About the Instructor:

Gail Corbin has practiced Ideokinesis (a technique of imagery to promote alignment and posture) for many years with dancers of all levels. She is also certified in Mental Health First Aid and QPR (suicide prevention) Technique and has practiced mindfulness and meditative disciplines. 

Mindfulness/Meditation is open to students ages 12+ years. No prior experience necessary. Non-dancers welcome!

NHB Special: FREE offerings every Tuesday and Thursday! Click Here to register and participate for FREE Mindfulness/Meditation sessions with Gail Corbin from the comfort of your home on Tuesdays and Thursday from 2:00-2:30 p.m.