BWW Dance Review: Ballet Tech Kids Dance, June 10, 2018.

I've been going to Eliot Feld's "Ballet Tech Kids Dance" for so many years that I sometimes take them for granted.

Why? Because they're so damned good. I wouldn't expect less.

A friend over from England, who was trained and danced at the Royal Ballet, said that it was better than an ABT production he saw the previous night.

Praise indeed, and from someone who isn't always impressed.

A collaboration between the New York City Department of Education and the Ballet Tech Foundation, Ballet Tech combines a public education with dance instruction at no cost. Students in the Lower and Middle Schools (grades 4-8) study both academics and dance on-site at 890 Broadway. High School students attend the Professional Performing Arts School in Midtown for their academic classes and Ballet Tech for their dance training. Many Students continue to pursue dance careers after they graduate, while others go on to college. One thing is true for all students: They learn dedication, discipline, and tenacity. Mastering the art of dance and education's intellectual rigors means embarking on a journey, one that entails mind and body, both essential tools for successful careers.

While the young dancers on view still have a way to go if they are planning to become professionals, what was most evident, at least to me, was the intelligence on display. You can see these young minds at work, signs of intellect and body fusing. They make a decision, and while we sometimes see dancers think just a tad too much, here it adds a greater sweep to the choreography. Who knows, maybe there are some Nobel Prize winners among them.

There's a great deal of momentum in Feld's Pointing 2, Apple Pie and The Jig Is Up, and the young dancers took full advantage, displaying energy, panache and even wit in carrying off their assignments. And heart; beautiful heart, the kind that you want to bottle up and never let go. How often does one have this sensation?

The program was rounded out by Stephanie Teraski 's It's the Effort That Counts, a sweet piece that allowed its three dancers, Johnson Guo, Lucy Hu and Jacky Zhen to flex their comic chops as well as their steps.

A fun afternoon all around. A final question: When will I see these dancers in a professional company, if at any time?

Photo: Whitney Browne

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