Dance New Amsterdam Launches New Summer Programs

Dance New Amsterdam (DNA), the internationally acclaimed center for superior dance training and the exclusive provider of Simonson Technique in NYC, today announced new summer programs for youth and children ages 4 - 18. Having firmly established itself as one of the premier training institutions for adult contemporary dancers in New York, DNA is now expanding its reach to younger dance enthusiasts. The School for Education of Emerging Dancers (SEEDS) will include a two-week summer intensive dance sampler and the InTeensive Summer Program will encompass five weekends of Simonson Technique intensive workshops.

SEEDS will give young dancers ages 4-9 a fun and creative learning environment, designed to explore the excitement of dance. A one-of-a-kind sampler of age appropriate dance and movement exploration, the summer program will include jazz, hip-hop, ballet, yoga, tap, and story time dance. Two consecutive two-week courses will feature paired 40-minute class periods on Tuesdays and Thursdays, starting July 12, 2011. The last class culminating each two-week session will highlight the dancers in a studio performance showcase for parents and friends.

"What makes DNA unique is our ability to support the entire spectrum of the dance community by offering dance and wellness training from beginning students through professional dancers. It is only natural for DNA to increase its spectrum of training to include young dancers in the mix of our community - giving these children and teens the opportunity to start their training in an environment that houses dancers at all stages of life and career," said Martha Chapman, Board Co-Chair and Ballet faculty member at DNA. "We hope both SEEDS and the InTeensive workshops will help young dancers start dancing in a holistic way, and that visiting students will take what they learned at DNA back to their home studios where it will influence their future training."

Starting June 24, 2011, a weekend workshop InTeensive will expose youth to the fundamentals of DNA's signature teaching method, Simonson Technique, and also include ballet, hip-hop, tap and a sampling of other styles. The first-ever youth program to offer Simonson specific workshops will feature some of the finest teachers and choreographers in NYC and aid youth in learning and expanding their dance skills. Taught in 19 countries worldwide, Simonson Technique, developed by DNA Co-Founder Lynn Simonson, is an organic approach to movement that prepares the body to experience the joy of dance through anatomically based principles of body awareness and alignment. The program will be offered five weekends over the course of the summer.

"These new programs focus on our exclusive offering: the Simonson Technique which offers a solid foundation in sound technique at an early age that will help to ensure that a dancer will have a long, healthy career," said Catherine Peila, Executive and Artistic Director. "We want to expose young dancers to the quality training that DNA has to offer in a wide variety of styles, as well as give them a professional-quality dance experience in New York City."

The summer's influx of young dancers and families into the mix of DNA's community will more deeply integrate the organization into the fabric of Lower Manhattan and further support the organization's mission to honor the complete dancer and provide the highest caliber dance training to anyone who has the desire to dance. Fully engaging Simonson philosophy, DNA champions principles of anatomical awareness and an organic approach to movement, DNA trains dancers to dance with an understanding of their personal body mechanics, thus reducing the pre-disposition to injury and extending their career.

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