Sunday, January 31, 1999
Dancers stay on their toes
Cincinnati Ballet alum shares wisdom through studio
BY JENNY CALLISON
Enquirer Contributor
HAMILTON TOWNSHIP — Dance has been Claudia Rudolf Barrett's whole life. Now she is bringing her love of dance to Greater Cincinnati.
After a 27-year career as dancer and then ballet mistress for the Cincinnati Ballet Company, Ms. Barrett established her own school, ballet tech, in 1993. Her studio, in a wooded setting near the Little Miami River, has become a mecca of sorts for professional dancers, who mingle with aspiring dancers from all over Hamilton, Butler and Warren counties.
The studio building was built in 1870 as a Roman Catholic church, then was converted to a school. When Ms. Barrett first saw it several years ago, the building was a craftsman's studio.
The artist draws inspiration from her fellow instructors, from the light that streams in through her studio's tall windows, and from her students themselves.
And soon after she began teaching, the students inspired her to find performance opportunities for them.
Ms. Barrett adapted some classic choreography and created original pieces for her young dancers. Along with guest artists from professional companies, they have performed selections from such ballets as Giselle and The Sleeping Beauty.
“I felt that if they learned the classics, they would get stronger,” said Ms. Barrett, adding that participation of guest artists is important. “It gives my dancers the opportunity to be artists and find out what the professional world of dance is like.”
Ms. Barrett believes in exposing students to a variety of traditions. Instructor Jane Burkhalter, a former dancer in George Balanchine's original company, teaches Balan chine technique. Larissa Sintsova and Kennet Oberly, who will teach summer workshops, are schooled in Russian and Danish techniques, respectively.
Russian technique also will be taught this summer by Larisa Sklyanskaya, originally from the Bolshoi, now with the Dutch National Ballet.
In addition to Ms. Burkhalter, ballet tech's regular instructional staff consists of Jay Goodlet, a soloist with the Cincinnati Ballet, who teaches jazz dance; Fanny Santiago Saavedra, who teaches ballet technique, pre-ballet and jazz; and Alexei Kremnev and Anna Reznik, principal dancers with the Cincinnati Ballet, who teach advanced techniques.
Ballet tech students perform twice a year. Their spring program will take place in May at Indian Hill High School.
In the meantime, there will be a short performance at 2 p.m. Feb. 14 at Arts in Middletown, 130 N. Verity Parkway, Middletown. The free program is part of Fine Arts Sampler weekend.
Ballet tech is at 7623 Old 3C Highway, Hamilton Township in Warren County. Information: 683-6860.
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