Ballet San Jose School Announces the Carreño Male Dancer Training Initiative

Under the direction of Artistic Director José Manuel Carreño, Ballet San Jose School is expanding and formalizing its male dancer training by creating new scholarship opportunities for male students to participate in its2014 Summer Intensive [include dates and location]. Aspiring male dancers will have the opportunity to train with Jose Carreño and the faculty of Ballet SJ School. Carreño will be involved in selecting students for these opportunities, and qualified students will be considered for placement in the 2014-2015 Ballet San JoseTrainee and Apprentice Programs or in some cases as Company members. For information visitwww.balletsj.org .

Chaperoned Housing at San Jose State

In order to make this unique training opportunity available to all students, chaperoned housing will be available to Summer Intensive students at the San Jose State University Dormitories. In the past long-distance and international students have attended the Ballet San Jose School Summer Intensive while staying with host families or with parents in local hotels, but this year Ballet San Jose is offering dormitory housing, including meals, for long distance students. Limited housing scholarships and host-family housing may be offered to male students selected to receive Carreño Male Dancer Training Initiative Scholarship Awards.

About Men's Ballet Training

José Manuel Carreño is a world-renowned former principal dancer from American Ballet Theatre and the Royal Ballet, who retired in 2011 after a stellar international career. Now Artistic Director of Ballet San Jose, Carreño was the first, and is perhaps still the most famous, of the Cuban-born dancers changing the world's ballet landscape. Training the next generation of dancers is one of Carreño's passions, and he is uniquely skilled in working with aspiring male dancers, passing on secrets of the Cuban style, including flawless lines, tremendous athleticism, and a magnetic stage presence.

"Technique is necessary, but will and passion are what I value most in a dancer," said Carreño. "I need to see what young performers look like in action, how they are on stage." Ballet San Jose School's Summer Intensive includes the opportunity to perform in the Summer Intensive Showcase, a chance not always provided in Summer Intensive Ballet Programs. The Ballet San Jose Summer Intensive Showcase includes selections from the classical repertoire, as well as the chance for aspiring dancers to work with cutting-edge choreographers, including Smuin Ballet resident choreographer and nationally produced contemporary visionary Amy Seiwert, and Ballet San Jose School Principal Dalia Rawson, who in 2011 was awarded a Fellowship by the New York Choreographic Institute, an affiliate of New York City Ballet.

Men's Training at the Ballet San Jose School Summer Intensive will include Men's Class, coaching in male variations, and partnering. "Working with male dancers is different than working with female dancers," says Mads Eriksen, Ballet San Jose School Senior Faculty, and formerly a dancer with the Royal Danish Ballet and Ballet San Jose. "We have a very strong male training program at the school now, especially in our Junior Pre-Professional Division. Under the direction of José, we plan to make Ballet San Jose School a destination for talented aspiring male pre-professional dancers, and to help those dancers take the step from student to professional."

To participate

Audition information for the Summer Intensive, including a six-city audition tour and information about scheduling private auditions or submitting video auditions, is available athttp://www.balletsj.org/sc_auditions.html or by contacting the School Office at 408.288.2820 x223.

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