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Congratulations to the 2010 Guild Scholarship Recipients
- Ashley Davis - $500
- Heather Dods - $250
- Leanna Rinaldi - $250
Congratulations to the W. Morrison Chamberlain Sr. Scholarship Recipients
- Ashley Davis - $750
- Audrey Clark - $500
- Louisa Liles - $500
- Mckenna Karnes - $500
- Leanna Rinaldi - $500
- Naomi Shapira - $500
- Rachel Cinquepalmi - $350
- Heather Dods - $350
- Danielle Hecker - $350
- Sarah Killian - $350
- Natalie Smith - $350
2010 Professional Summer Studies
Senior Company
- Lisa Bagen - Texas Ballet Theatre School, Ft. Worth, TX
- Rachel Cinquepalmi - San Francisco Ballet School, San Francisco, CA
- Audrey Clark - School of American Ballet, New York City, NY
- Ashley Davis - Pacific Northwest Ballet School, Seattle, WA
- Heather Dods - Ballet Austin Academy, Austin, TX
- McKenna Karnes - School of American Ballet, New York City, NY
- Louisa Liles - Miami City Ballet School, Miami, FL
- Leanna Rinaldi - Miami City Ballet School, Miami, FL
- Naomi Shapira - Miami City Ballet School, Miami, FL
- Natalie Smith - Ballet Austin Academy, Austin, TX
- Renee Walters - Miami City Ballet School, Miami, FL
Junior Company
- Sydney Hale - Ballet Austin Academy, Austin, TX
- Elisabeth Han - Ballet Austin Academy, Austin, TX
- Leah Johnson - Alonzo King Lines Ballet School, San Francisco, CA
Read "Wednesday’s Child: Amber", a story about a little girl with a dream to dance, becoming a reality at Chamberlain Performing Arts. Story by Gloria Campos – WFAA, Dallas/Ft. Worth
Read "25 Years and Still Dancing", a story about Kathy Chamberlain on NeighborsGo by Paige Arrington
Read "The Importance of Peter", a story about Peter and the Wolf on NeighborsGo by Karen McDonough
 Kathryn McDonald in class at the School of American Ballet — July 2008
Photo by Rosalie O’Connor Boutique Now Open!
Be sure to visit the Studio Boutique. Now selling dance wear basics, spirit wear and upcoming Nutcracker gift items.
CHAMBERLAIN PERFORMING ARTS COMPANY MEMBER TO STUDY AT THE SCHOOL OF AMERICAN BALLET
Chamberlain Performing Arts company member, Kathryn McDonald, has been invited to train at the prestigious School of American Ballet in New York City. One of only 71 advanced students enrolled for SAB’s Winter Term at the school, 15–year–old McDonald will join other students from around the world to pursue the dream of one day dancing professionally with an elite ballet company.
Located at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, the School of American Ballet is one of the most prestigious classical ballet schools in the world. Founded by arts patron Lincoln Kirstein and renowned choreographer George Balanchine, it is the official academy of the New York City Ballet. Currently, over 90 percent of the New York City Ballet’s roster trained at the School of American Ballet. During her time at the school, McDonald will undertake a rigorous ballet training program, coupled with a full load of academic high school classes at Professional Performing Arts School.
McDonald, the only dancer in a family of three girls, was first invited to enroll after attending SAB’s 2008 summer program. "My parents thought I was too young to move away, and wanted me to stay home and focus on my schoolwork,&quto; McDonald said. "But I wanted it badly, and it’s my dream to someday dance with the New York City Ballet, so they agreed when I was asked again this summer. I am really excited."
A resident of Allen, Texas, McDonald has trained in classical ballet at the Plano–based Chamberlain School of Performing Arts since the age of eight. This pre–professional dance school is partnered with the Chamberlain Performing Arts dance company, of which McDonald is a member. This summer, McDonald was one of six Chamberlain dancers chosen to attend the School of American Ballet’s Summer Course.
SAB’s five–week summer program for intermediate and advanced ballet students is highly selective. In 2009 alone, 1,700 students auditioned for just 200 spots. Approximately 40 of the most promising summer students were subsequently invited in July to enroll for full–time training at SAB’s Winter Term. McDonald is one of 58 students from around the U.S. and abroad who are currently living in SAB’s on–site resident hall at Lincoln Center during the 2009–10 school year.
Kathy Chamberlain, herself an alumna of the School of American Ballet, has taught McDonald since first grade. &quto;I am delighted that Kathryn has been given this amazing opportunity," Chamberlain said. "At Chamberlain we focus on building classical foundations, working with the students to develop the technique and discipline necessary to succeed in the dance arena — indeed in all aspects of life. Clearly, the instructors at the School of American Ballet have recognized the potential in Kathryn, and she is positioned for a bright future."
Chamberlain Performing Arts is the principal pre-professional ballet company of North Texas, currently celebrating its 25th anniversary season. The company’s focus of building Classical Foundations for Life® is evident in the lives of its dancers who benefit from rigorous training and outstanding performance opportunities. Additionally, the company has a longstanding tradition of enriching the lives of disadvantaged youth through scholarships for dance education programs, as well as offering an annual performance of The Nutcracker for the community’s underserved. Chamberlain’s focus on artistic excellence and personal discipline results in the vast majority of company dancers receiving scholarships to prestigious colleges and universities, as well as summer scholarships with elite ballet companies around the country. Many graduates have gone on to establish professional careers with well–known dance companies and on Broadway. Founder and Artistic Director, Kathy Chamberlain, is an internationally recognized figure in the world of classical ballet, and a former recipient of the prestigious Ford Foundation Scholarship to the School of American Ballet. Chamberlain Performing Arts is a not–for–profit 501(c) 3 organization located at 3003 W 15th Street Plano, TX 75075 (972)985-1374
Congratulations to 2009 Guild Scholarship Recipients
- Ashley Davis - $500
- Kathryn McDonald - $250
- Leanna Rinaldi - $250
Congratulations to 2009 W. Morrison Chamberlain Sr. Scholarship Recipients
- Rachel Cinquepalmi - $250 in Recognition of Artistic Promise
- Ashley Davis - $500 in Recognition of Artistic Excellence
- Kathryn McDonald - $250 in Recognition of Artistic Promise
- Aubry Neal - $500 in Recognition of Artistic Excellence
- Leanna Rinaldi - $250 in Recognition of Artistic Promise
- Grace Rovner - $500 in Recognition of Artistic Excellence
- Naomi Shapira - $250 in Recognition of Artistic Promise
2009 Professional Summer Studies
Audrey Clark, Ashley Davis, McKenna Karnes, Kathryn McDonald, Leanna Rinaldi, and Naomi Shapira will be attending School of American Ballet. The School of American Ballet, the official training academy of the New York City Ballet, was established in 1934 by legendary choreographer George Balanchine and philanthropist Lincoln Kirstein as the first and most essential step in their quest to create an American classical ballet company. SAB, located at New York City's Lincoln Center, is today the premier ballet academy in the United States, training more students who go on to become professional dancers than any other school. SAB's former students fill the ranks of the New York City Ballet and other leading U.S. and international ballet companies.
Aubry Neal will be attending San Francisco Ballet School.
San Francisco Ballet and the San Francisco Ballet School were both established in 1933 as a single institution by Gaetano Merola, founding director of San Francisco Opera. Merola recognized the need for a thriving academy that would train dancers to appear in opera productions. San Francisco became the only city in the country, other than New York, to claim a ballet school as an auxiliary to an established opera company. San Francisco Ballet truly began to take shape as an independent entity when Willam Christensen became Company ballet master. Two years later he appointed his brother, Harold, director of the School. Today, the School boasts a distinguished international staff, headed by Associate Director Lola de Avila, a Trainee Program for advanced-level students, a dedicated student residence, and an extensive scholarship program. Of the current Company, over 40 percent of the dancers received all or part of their training at the School, and many San Francisco Ballet School students have gone on to dance with professional companies nationally and internationally. This year, San Francisco Ballet School celebrates its 75th anniversary along with the Company.
Rachel Cinquepalmi will be attending Miami City Ballet School.
Miami City Ballet School is recognized as one of the top dance schools in the nation. Founded in January 1993, the Miami City Ballet School was established in the manner and style of Edward Villella, who trained at the School of American Ballet in New York. Edward has brought to South Florida not only his experience in the traditions of his own training, but also his experiences as a performer at New York City Ballet and as a teacher throughout the country. The regimen and discipline within which he developed are principles on which the School is based.
The curriculum is based on the dynamic evolution of classical dance as it enters the 21st century and beyond. The teachers and staff are dedicated to providing complete preparation for the demands of a professional dance career including technique, role characterization, presentation, and the various elements of staging. We believe, in any event, that the focus, discipline and determination with this type of training, will benefit students in any field they choose. What we want to develop in all our students is a love of dance.
Natalie Smith will be attending Ballet Austin Academy. Founded in 1956 by Barbara Carson Ballet Austin Academy is the official ballet school of Ballet Austin and is committed to providing the highest quality dance instruction to its students. Currently, the Academy has more than 800 students, making it one of the largest ballet schools in the United States. The Ballet Austin Academy has as its mission the provision of quality dance education with the word "education" viewed in its broadest sense. Students develop skills associated with academic success including self-discipline, self-confidence and the ability to concentrate and collaborate. Their students recognize the importance of process and quality of work at the same time setting high standards for themselves in all areas.
Jiae Azad, Mollie Johnson and Emma Roberts will be attending Joffrey Ballet School.
The Joffrey Ballet School, located in New York City’s Greenwich Village, was founded in 1953 by Robert Joffrey and Gerald Arpino to develop and train professional dancers. The School continues to strive for the foundersŐ vision of dance based on rigorous classical training that is imbued with a sense of movement, clarity and exuberant energy.
In more than fifty years of existence, the Joffrey Ballet School has remained on the forefront of American dance education. Graduates of the School have gone on to dance for major classical ballet companies, as well as for numerous modern and contemporary companies, both in the United States and abroad.
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