Moscow Ballet Dancer to Offer Berkshire Dance Theatre Sessions

By Susan Bush
12:00AM / Wednesday, July 20, 2005

Natalya Getman [Bossov Ballet photo]

Adams- A world-class Moscow Ballet ballerina is set to offer Intensive Ballet training at the Berkshire Dance Theatre in August.
Natalya Getman is scheduled to work with intermediate level and advanced level ballet students beginning Aug. 22 and ending on Aug. 26, said BDT Executive Director Eileen Clark.

The training is open to qualified students who study at the BDT or other dance schools, Clark said. The enrollment cost is $125 and both classes are limited to 25 students, she said.

An Honor and An Opportunity

“Natalya Getman is very well known in the United States and has a huge following,” Clark said. “It is such a honor to have her at our school. This is a tremendous opportunity for ballet dancers. To have someone of this caliber in the Northern Berkshires is just incredible. This kind of opportunity doesn’t present itself very often.”

The classes will be held at the Berkshire Dance Theater’s 34 Commercial St. studio. Intermediate dancers must be at least 10 years old and have a minimum of two years ballet instruction. Advanced students should be between 14 and 18 years old and be able to dance “en pointe,” since the advanced training will include some pointe instruction, Clark said.

Class placement will depend on a combination of age and experience, Clark noted, and emphasized that the training sessions are not appropriate for beginning ballet dancers.

Natalya Getman

Getman, 30, was born in Russia. By age 10, she had achieved

Natalya Getman [photo courtesy of Dan Merritt]

recognition as a gymnast and had been accepted at the Leningrad Academy Choreographic School, which is part of the world-renowned Kirov Theater. Getman went on to study for eight years at the Uzbek Choreographic School under the instruction of Inna Kevorkova and graduated with honors in 1993. Prior to becoming a Moscow Ballet ballerina in 1995, she was a member of the Turkmenistan State Theater of Ballet and Opera and performed in productions of “Fountain of Bakhchisarai,” “Lady and a Hooligan,” “Don Quixote,” and “Giselle.” At the Moscow Ballet, Getman worked with ballet masters including Ludmila Semenyaka, Mikhail Lavrosky, Anatoly Golovan of the Bolshoi Theater and Galina Shylapina. Getman’s ballet solos include performances in “The Swan Lake,” “Pakhita,” “The Nutcracker,” and “The Golden Key.”

Getman began touring internationally with the Moscow Ballet in 1996 and in 1999, she came to the United States with the ballet for a 50-city dance/choreography program that focused on children. Getman has also been a model and spokeswoman for the Ford and Mercedes vehicle companies, Hopman Jewelers, Seng Jewlers, the Lord and Taylor retail corporation, and organizations including Mothers Against Drunk Driving.

Reception to Follow Training Sessions

Getman works with a dancer during a previous United States training session.[Bossov Ballet photo]

Intermediate training sessions are scheduled for noon to 3 p.m. on Mon. Aug 22 and Wed. Aug. 24, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Tues. Aug. 23 and Thurs. Aug. 25, and noon to 1:30 p.m. on Fri. Aug. 26. Advanced dancers will meet from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Aug. 22 and Aug. 24, 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Aug.23 and Aug. 25, and from 1 p.m. to 3:15 p.m. on Aug. 26.

A group practice is slated to begin following the Aug. 26 training, and parents are invited to a 6:30 p.m. ballet training demonstration and a 7 p.m. reception at the BDT studio.

The opportunity to study with Getman will add a significant benefit and dimension to ballet instruction, said Clark.

“Natalya Getman brings with her an enormous amount of experience and expertise,” Clark said. “This is a rare opportunity for Northern Berkshire dancers.”

Additional information about the training and registration information is available by calling the Berkshire Dance Theater at 413-743-4645.

Susan Bush may be reached by e-mail at suebush123@adelphia.net or by calling 802-823-9367.