Amanda McKerrow and John Gardner to Visit Harford Ballet Company’s August Workshop

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Amanda McKerrow and John Gardner with Harford Ballet Company
Amanda McKerrow and John Gardner with Harford Ballet Company

Bel Air, MD (May 2014) – Amanda McKerrow, former principal dancer with American Ballet Theatre (ABT) and her husband, John Gardner, a soloist with the company will be joining Harford Ballet Company’s August Workshop faculty from August 25-29, 2014.

 

Amanda McKerrow has enjoyed a career as one of America’s acclaimed ballerinas. She has the honor of being the first American to receive a gold metal at the International Ballet Competition in Moscow in 1981. McKerrow has also been the recipient of numerous awards including the Princess Grace Foundation Dance Fellowship, the Deane Sherman Award of Excellence in the Field of Dance and the New York Woman Award for Dance.

After studying with Mary Day at the Washington School of Ballet and dancing with the company for two years, McKerrow joined ABT under the direction of Mikhail Baryshnikov in 1982. She was appointed Soloist in 1983 and Principal Dancer in 1987. Her repertoire includes leading roles in Cinderella, Giselle, Romeo and Juliet, Manon, La Bayadere, Coppelia, Don Quixote, The Sleeping Beauty, Swan Lake, La Sylphide, The Nutcracker and The Dream.  She has also received acclaim for her performances in works by George Balanchine, Antony Tudor, Sir Frederick Ashton, Mark Morris, Jerome Robbins, Twyla Tharp, Clark Tippet, James Kudelka and Agnes DeMille.

John Gardner began his ballet training with Gwen Ashton in Lafayette, Louisiana, and subsequently trained at the National Academy of Arts in Champaign, Illinois under the direction of Michael Maule. At the age of sixteen, Gardner received a scholarship to the American Ballet Theatre School and joined the second company of ABT shortly after. In 1978 he became a member of the main company of ABT and was promoted to soloist in 1984.

Gardner’s repertoire with ABT includes a wide range of soloist and principal roles. His extensive range in style allowed him the opportunity to work with many great choreographers including Antony Tudor, George Balanchine, Jerome Robbins and Twyla Tharp. In 1991, he joined Mikhail Baryshnikov’s White Oak dance project where he was able to work closely with world-renowned modern choreographers Merce Cunningham, Paul Taylor, Martha Graham, Mark Morris and Lar Lubovitch. During his time with the White Oaks Dance Project, Gardner created numerous roles and toured throughout the United States, Europe, Asia, Australia and South America.

 

Harford Ballet Company’s professional ballet intensive is designed for the serious professional or pre-professional dance student at an intermediate to advanced level of training. The workshop will include daily Ballet technique and Pointe/Pre-Pointe or Variations and Partnering classes from 4:30-8:30pm.  The program will improve a student’s technique while increasing their strength and flexibility to prepare them for their upcoming dance season.

Housing with Harford Ballet families is available Monday – Thursday of each week for out of state/area students. Please contact our office or visit our website for more information or to register for classes.

About Harford Ballet Company

Harford Ballet Company is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization overseen by an advisory Board of Directors who work with the artistic director and the company manager to provide administrative support for the Company. The Company’s annual season features two programs of classic favorites and new works, including the holiday tradition, The Nutcracker.

 

Harford Ballet Company receives state arts funding through a grant from the Maryland State Arts Council and the Harford County Cultural Arts Board and constantly seeks financial backing for the valuable art of ballet through memberships, grants, and personal and corporate donations.

 

About Dance Conservatory of Maryland

The Dance Conservatory of Maryland is the premier classical and contemporary dance program in Harford County and the Northern Maryland region.  Headquartered at the 40-acre historic Millstad property on Whitaker Mill Road, three miles south of Bel Air, the 5,000 square foot facility houses the conservatory as well as the headquarters for Harford Ballet Company.  A DCM dancer can perform professionally, earn scholarships to major professional schools, colleges and universities, and enrich the artistic and cultural life of the community.

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