Two dancers from Bulgaria will arrive at Syracuse University in July to study with world-renowned faculty during the three-week Summer Dance Intensive Program, which is administered by University College.
Greta Georgieva, a 19-year-old classical ballet student, has been studying since she was 11 years old. Georgieva is a graduate of the State Dance Art School in Ruse, Bulgaria, and now works with the State Opera of Ruse. She has participated in performances of “Swan Lake,” “Sleeping Beauty,” “Giselle” and “The Nutcracker,” while touring with the Ruse Opera in Spain and Italy.
Kiril Filipov, also 19, is a native of Sofia, Bulgaria. He recently graduated from the National School of Dance Art, specializing in classical ballet, and took part in national and international ballet competitions in Bulgaria. He has participated in the summer course at Ballet Chicago, along with 14 other students from the Bulgarian National School of Dance.
Danita Emma, the artistic director of Syracuse University’s Dance Intensive program, was invited to teach last fall at the National Ballet of Bulgaria in Sofia through a recommendation made by her assistant director, Bulgarian native Momchil Mladenov.
Mladenov, a former principal dancer with the National Ballet, is now a principal with the Suzanne Farrell Ballet and is part of the faculty for SU’s dance program.
During her time in Sofia, Emma established a relationship with the Iliev Foundation, an internationally focused organization dedicated to providing young dancers with special opportunities to train with established professionals in an intense and stimulating environment. Emma has been invited to return to Bulgaria this month to teach company classes for the Cultural Bridges Festival, a collaboration between the National Ballet of Bulgaria and the Suzanne Farrell Ballet of the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.
“The foundation was impressed with the summer dance program at Syracuse University and my teaching, and offered scholarships to two students to attend. Through their generous sponsorship, these two students will be enriched through a cultural and artistic exchange,” says Emma.
“I want to continue ballet dancing, to practice and improve my skills,” says Georgieva. “I hope that opportunities will open up to dance on international stages and I get to know other ballet schools.”
Filipov’s ambitions after graduation are to continue his dance training at established dance institutions and to enroll in college to study dance.
Syracuse University’s Dance Intensive Program prepares aspiring dancers to meet the challenges of today’s dance world. Students take daily technique classes in ballet, modern and jazz in an intense conservatory environment. With its emphasis on technical growth and artistic performance, the training these students receive develops and refines their technique and broadens their understanding of what it means to be a dancer. The program culminates with a free, public performance on Saturday, July 30, at 1 p.m. at Syracuse Stage.
For more information, visit the Summer Dance Intensive web site at http://www.yesu.syr.edu/students/current/courses/ballet/index.htm.