Who is it For?

• DanceFest 2008 is a great opportunity for dancers aged 12 and older with intermediate/advanced to advanced technique who want to work with dynamic instructors, experiencing a full day of classes and rehearsals.

What can I Learn at DanceFest?

• Summer DanceFest 2008 includes a full curriculum of ballet, jazz and modern classes. Daily classes include Ballet, Pointe, Men’s Class, Pas de Deux, Jazz, Modern & Choreography rehearsal.

• Dancers will gain the experience of working with professional choreographers and dancers, and participate in public performances.

What is the Schedule?

• DanceFest 2008 is two weeks with 10 days of technique classes and choreography rehearsals.

• All DanceFest 2008 classes take place at the Morrison Center for the Performing Arts on the Boise State University campus.

• The last two days, Friday, June 27 and Saturday, June 28 DanceFest students will participate in a series of public performances.

Who are the Instructors?

Marla Hansen, DanceFest Director, Ballet Curriculum, Choreography

Marla is an Associate Professor and Director of Dance within the Theatre Arts Department at Boise State University. She is also co-artistic director, dancer and choreographer for Idaho Dance Theatre, professional company in-residence at Boise State University. She danced professionally for over 20 years with several companies, including Portland Ballet Company, American Festival Ballet and Idaho Dance Theatre, performing principal and soloist roles in both classical and contemporary ballets. She received her training at Harkness Ballet Company school; "Crafts of Choreography" workshop with Glen Tetley; Summer Dance Lab with First Chamber Ballet; Indiana University and University of Utah, where she received her MFA in Ballet. Marla was a principal dancer, ballet mistress and Acting Artistic Director of the American Festival Ballet where she choreographed a full-length Cinderella and Firebird. She has received the Artist Fellowship from the Idaho Commission on the Arts for excellence in performing and choreographing. She has choreographed over forty ballets for professional companies in addition to numerous musicals. Her classes reflect an eclectic background of training (Cecchetti, Bournonville, Vaganova) that prepares students for the rigors and versatility required of the professional American dance world.

Nichole Ortega (Modern technique & choreography)

Nichole Ortega began her classical ballet training in 1975 with Sandra Allen. From 1984 to 1990, she continued her classical ballet training with Jacqueline P. Colledge, as a member and soloist with Utah Regional Ballet Company. Nichole completed her undergraduate studies in Health Education and Dance Education at Brigham Young University. She then studied at California State University, Long Beach, earning a Master of Arts in Dance degree. For ten years, Nichole worked as the modern dance educator and Dance Company Director at Payson High School in Payson, Utah. Currently, Nichole is an Assistant Professor at Utah Valley State College where she teaches ballet, modern, and other core courses, and is Artistic Director for Repertory Ballet Ensemble. She is an active member of the National Dance Education Organization, is President of the Utah Dance Education Organization, and is Arts Chair for the Utah Academy of Science, Arts, and Letters. She recently served two years as the Secondary Endorsement Dance Representative for the Utah State Office of Education and is in her third year as a HASS Senator for UVSC Facuty Senate. Nichole has choreographed for Synergy Dance Company, Contemporary Dance Ensemble, Utah Regional Ballet, Utah Regional Ballet II, and Scera Shell Outdoor Theater. She was recently awarded an NEA grant, along with Angela Banchero-Kelleher and Kim Strunk, to re-stage Dance for Walt Whitman by Helen Tamaris.

Molly, a Boise native, currently resides in Salt Lake City where she is pursuing a BFA in Modern Dance from the University of Utah.  While at the University of Utah, Molly performs with Performance Dance Company, she’s a member of the Orchesis Honorary Society and she’s also responsible for running the department’s Student Concert.  Molly has worked with and performed works by Martha Graham, Pamela Geber, Steve Koester, Brent Schneider, Kay Richards, Satu Hummasti, Tandy Beal and Eric Handman.  This past spring Molly presented the Salt Lake community with Crawlspace, an intimate concert featuring her original choreography.  Her movement style is eclectic, drawing from her training in modern dance, capoeira, hip hop and ballet.  Outside of dance, Molly is a certified Pilates instructor and she enjoys rock climbing with her husband. 

Jennifer is a native of Long Beach, California and trained at the Long Beach/Los Angeles Classical Ballet and the Royal Winnipeg Ballet School. Jennifer has danced with Los Angeles Classical Ballet, the Royal Winnipeg Ballet, the Francisco Martinez Dance Theatre, Big Island Dance Council in Hawaii, and Montana Ballet. She is currently a principal dancer with Ballet Idaho/Eugene Ballet. She has been featured as Odette/Odile in Swan Lake, Kitri in Anna-Marie Holmes, Don Quixote and The Chosen One in Toni Pimble's premiere of The Rite of Spring, Juliet in Romeo and Juliet and created the role of M’Lady in The Three Musketeers. Last season Jennifer was featured as Titania in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, in Toni Pimble’s, Slipstream as Tinker Bell in Bruce Steivel’s, Peter Pan, the Sugar Plum Fairy in The Nutcracker and the title role in Dennis Spaight’s, Scheherazade. "Her technical facility and dramatic powers make her a dancer to be reckoned with." Dance Magazine, July 1999.

Frank has danced as a principal dancer for many fine companies, including Joffery Concert Group, where he got his start.  He has also danced with Ballet Iowa, Tulsa Ballet Theatre, Eugene Ballet, and Ballet Idaho.  Frank has enjoyed getting to perform most of the major classical ballet leads as well as being featured in a wide diversity of dance styles.  His dace career has taken him all over the world, including places like Rome, Bangkok, New Deli, Athens, and Anchorage, to name a few.  Now retired from professional dance, Frank is very much looking forward to working with the Summer DanceFest 2008.

Jenn Freeman (Jazz) 

Important Information
Summer Dancefest 2008
All Classes are 2 weeks, 9:00a.m.- 6:00p.m.
Classes run simultaneously in 2 studios
Week 1 -
Monday - Saturday June 16-21
Week 2 -
Monday - Thursday June 23-28
 

Before you send in your registration form, please call to arrange an audition. The first audition date will be Saturday, April 5th at 10:00 am in the Dance Studio (B111) in the Morrison Center for the Performing Arts.

Click Here for Registration Form