When Phillip Otto, Artistic Director of the New
Haven Ballet (NHB), approached Lauren Steffel, TD '04, about
dancing a solo performance on the stage of the Shubert, she hardly
had to think twice. A solo ballet performance on one of the
Northeast's most famous stages is the kind of opportunity that
doesn't come along often to young dancers. "Obviously, I said
yes!" Lauren exclaimed.
Steffel's performance will be a part of the New
Haven Ballet's Community Performance, a culmination of an outreach
program called Discover Dance—New Haven. The program, designed
by Otto and sponsored by the NHB, is working to enhance the arts
programs, particularly dance, in community schools.
In this, its pilot year, Otto is conducting
in-school residencies at New Haven's Vincent E. Mauro Elementary
School for two classes of fourth graders. For the past six weeks
the students have been studying dance three days a week, learning
the basic elements of choreography, dance technique, and ballet
terminology and history. They have now choreographed two
pieces, with sets designed by the Mauro art classes.
On Sun., May 5, the Discover Dance students will
perform these pieces at the Shubert Theater, alongside
performances by the New Haven Ballet, the Elm City Girls' Choir,
local dance groups, and guest artists from American Ballet
Theatre. Steffel's performance, a solo variation of the Lilac
Fairy, will be one of a series of excerpts from Tchaikovsky's Sleeping
Beauty performed by the NHB.
But the real focus of the performance is on the
children. "I think all of the kids involved are very
excited," says Steffel, "and it's an amazing opportunity
for all involved to perform at the Shubert."
Steffel comes to the program with a considerable
amount of dance experience. "Before I came to Yale, I studied
ballet very seriously for nine years," she said. "During
the school year in California, and during summers in intensive
programs at ballet schools affiliated with professional ballet
companies, such as New York City Ballet, American Ballet Theater,
and the San Francisco Ballet."
After taking a break from dance during her first
semester at Yale, she began working at the New Haven Ballet in the
spring of 2001. "I started taking open classes at New Haven
Ballet midway through freshman year," she said.
"This year I have been taking classes there
about four times a week, mostly with their advanced class."
This year, she has also joined YaleDancers, a campus group which
focuses more on modern styles of dance.
Taking classes at the NHB has allowed her to
interact with some of the area's fledgling dancers. "I have
gotten to know the advanced students at the school pretty well,
which is fun, because up until college, I had the same routine as
them: going to high school and then spending the rest of their
free time taking ballet classes and rehearsing!"
The experience has been worthwhile for Steffel.
"I love to dance and I haven't had the opportunity to perform
ballet since I've come to Yale," she said. "Plus,
I'm very excited to perform at the Shubert, which is a beautiful
theater. I'm a little nervous though, since it is such a big stage
and I'll be on it all alone!"
Nerves aside, Susan Laity, Director of
Communications for the Ballet, says, "Lauren has been
generously donating her time to help NHB with this outreach
program.
As both a dancer and a person, she provides an
excellent role model to all the participants in the performance,
from fourth graders 'discovering dance' to aspiring
ballerinas."
© 2002 The Yale Herald
The Herald is an undergraduate publication at Yale
University.
We can be reached at online@yaleherald.com.
