Maltz Jupiter Theatre Hosts Cecchetti Council of America Ballet Exams with Brian Andrews

Everyone knows about the Maltz Jupiter Theatre's Broadway-caliber plays and musicals.

But did you know about the Paul and Sandra Goldner Conservatory of Performing Arts, with a dance program that draws students statewide?

Since 2007, the Conservatory has offered a challenging, innovative and quality theatre experience to students of all ages and abilities. In addition to a full schedule of classes, one program that has grown during the past several years is the educational aspect of dance - particularly the Cecchetti method, a ballet technique and training system devised by the Italian ballet master Enrico Cecchetti.

Led by Broadway veteran Brian Andrews, of Cats and A Chorus Line, the Theatre recently hosted a statewide examination session adjudicated by two examiners from the Cecchetti Council of America national committee. A longtime Conservatory faculty member, Andrews is a certified licentiate instructor and past chairman of the Florida Cecchetti Committee.

The exams drew 57 students from across the state to the Theatre to take their exams, including 22 students personally trained by Andrews through the Theatre's Conservatory. Each of the Theatre's students passed the exam.

Approximately 35 students from other dance studios drove from as far as Naples, Boca Raton and Stuart to take their exams, including two instructors taking their instructor-level exams. Four visiting ballet teachers accompanied their students to the examination sessions.

"Ballet is the classical route of our training, and the Cecchetti method is one of the most rigorous training programs, resulting in highly trained professional dancers," Andrews said. "We were so honored to host the examination sessions here at the Maltz Jupiter Theatre."

The Cecchetti Council of America is a nonprofit, educational organization dedicated to maintaining the standards and method of ballet training established by Cecchetti. The organization uses a sequence of grades - carefully measured as to degree of difficulty and physical development - and provides a system of accredited examinations to test the student's proficiency within those grades.

"This educational opportunity is a wonderful experience for all dancers," Andrews said. "The attending students were adjudicated by national examiners, and due to the rigorous nature of the exam, their knowledge and skill set grew by leaps and bounds. The exams are also good for resumes and provide membership in an international dance organization."

An exciting upcoming camp option at the Theatre's Conservatory is the upcoming two-week dance intensive camp for students in grades 6-12 (July 29 - August 9), in which students will spend two weeks in a "dance intensive" camp under Andrews' guidance, focusing on ballet, jazz, and tap and culminating in a showcase performance on Aug. 9.

In addition to summer programs, the Theatre's Conservatory offers year-round learning opportunities for kids and adults of all ages, including a busy fall semester filled with musical theatre, acting and dance classes (including ballet, jazz, tap and hip hop), as well as master classes and more. Students in the Conservatory's signature Musical Theatre Production class will perform in The Pajama Game on the Maltz Jupiter Theatre stage in May.

Registration is now open for fall classes; visit www.jupitertheatre.org to learn more!

The Maltz Jupiter Theatre Paul and Sandra Goldner Conservatory of Performing Arts is a premiere professional Conservatory that offers a challenging, innovative and quality theatre experience to students of all ages and abilities. In addition to a full schedule of classes, the Conservatory's hands-on workshops and master classes offer students an opportunity to learn first-hand from nationally known directors and Broadway performers, agents and local instructors.

The not-for-profit Maltz Jupiter Theatre has become one of Florida's preeminent professional theatres, committed to production and education through its collaborations with local and national artists. Currently the state's largest award-winning regional theatre, the Theatre draws over 70,000 people annually, serves a subscription base of more than 7,530 and has world-class classroom facilities in support of its Paul and Sandra Goldner Conservatory of Performing Arts, which serves hundreds of youth and adults. The Theatre is a member of the prestigious League of Resident Theatres and has earned numerous Carbonell Awards, South Florida's highest honor for artistic excellence, including the prestigious Bill Von Maurer Award for Theatrical Excellence in 2012. For more information about the Theatre's upcoming shows and Conservatory, visit www.jupitertheatre.org or call the box office at (561) 575-2223.

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