New Adaptive Class at Greenwich Ballet Academy Brings Ballet to Children with Down Syndrome

GREENWICH, Conn. - Oct. 23, 2015 - PRLog -- Olivia Thurman, a 17-year-old Greenwich Ballet Academy student from Mamaroneck, has enjoyed nearly a decade of world-class dance training, master classes with some of ballet’s leading soloists and instructors, a multitude of performance opportunities and even landed a coveted scholarship to study ballet and Russian language last summer in Moscow. But little did this 17-year old dancer know that her greatest reward from ballet would be right here in her own community, teaching Adaptive Ballet to children with Down syndrome.

This exceptionally talented GBA student and her passion for adaptive ballet is the energy behind GBA’s new program for children with Down syndrome. The program is modeled after one created by Boston Ballet and in which former Boston Ballet and Mariinsky ballerina, Keenan Kampa, actively participated.  Kampa’s YouTube video about her adaptive dance work with the Jerome Lejeune Foundation in Paris is what initially inpired Thurman.

“From the first time I saw a YouTube video about Keenan Kampa’s work (http://www.fondationlejeune.org/en/news/testimonials/19-t...) with adaptive classes, I was driven to make this happen,” said Olivia, who offered GBA’s inaugural workshop this summer alongside her partner, Lydia Currie of Convent of the Sacred Heart. When asked how she was able to get the program off the ground, Thurman explained, “I explored what Boston Ballet (http://www.bostonballet.org/community/adaptive-dance.html) was doing, went to train at a workshop on adaptive dance they held over the summer. Then I presented to idea to the GBA board. They were really supportive and helped me formalize the program and work it into the GBA studio schedule.”  She then went on to describe what she considers to be the magical part of this story that made this initiative seem to be her destiny:  “At the same time I was learning about adaptive dance, a mother called the GBA offices inquiring about a program for her daughter with Down syndrome. They put me in touch with her, and her daughter was my first student!”

The GBA classes are currently held from 5 to 6 p.m. on Saturdays at GBA’s Port Chester studios. “I am as thrilled as my students when they master basic positions, and remember the French names for ballet technique,” she added. Olivia's students improve strength and balance during the sessions, but also develop their social skills and confidence. “This class has classical ballet components, but with plenty of room for free expression and improvisation," she said. "What fascinates me is how this very precise dance form sheds its rigidity and reaches an entirely new population because of its essential beauty and resonance.”

Olivia’s decade of hard work in dance and her sense of initiative have made the GBA Adaptive Program a reality, and these attributes are precisely what GBA celebrates in its dancers, said Mimi Citarella of Greenwich Ballet Academy’s Board of Directors. “This is a demanding and prestigious dance academy, and we train students for professional and highly competitive dance environments,” she explained. “But we are also committed to teaching students to understand dance with a holistic sense of the arts and humanities, in the full breadth of human experience. We are delighted to be able to bring the world of classical ballet to these special needs children and see them take pride in their ability to dance and move with grace and joy. Ballet is an international art form which can truly touch people of all walks of life and ability with its beauty.”

For Lydia Currie, the connection is also personal. “I am a dancer, but I am emotionally invested because my little brother is on the autism spectrum,” she explained. “Having programs like this is so important, and I have seen my brother grow exponentially from special needs music, gym, and creative movement classes. I am so glad that I am able to give back by teaching these ballet classes, and seeing how happy the girls are makes me feel like I am truly making a difference.”

There is room for more children with Down syndrome in the adaptive dance program which is offered at no cost, Citarella said. Parents and other community members interested in more information should call GBA at (914) 305-4377. If the success of the new Adaptive Ballet program weren’t enough, Thurman and Currie are in for another big thrill on November 14th when Keenan Kampa - the professional ballet dancer (now Hollywood star - “High Strung”) whose Adaptive Ballet work inspired Thurman’s idea - visits the GBA studios.  Kampa will teach three master classes as well as visit the Adaptive Ballet class.

About Greenwich Ballet Academy

Greenwich Ballet Academy is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) institution that nurtures talented dancers, ages 4-21, toward careers in classical ballet and contemporary dance with a unique emphasis on the Russian Vaganova method of instruction. GBA is the only school in the lower Fairfield and Westchester County area to offer this specialized type of training. The professional faculty also provides classes in modern and character dance, and contemporary ballet. GBA students have earned accolades at international ballet competitions and have joined professional ballet companies. For more information on performances and training, please visit the GBA website: www.greenwichballetacademy.org