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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.