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Richard James Havis

Put on your dancing shoes - the New York-based Joffrey Ballet School  will hold its first Hong Kong auditions next month for its summer tuition programmes.
Hopeful dancers will take part in a classical ballet class at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, during which their skills will be judged by Joffrey's artistic director, Alice Alyse.  
The school, founded in 1953 by Robert Joffrey and Gerald Arpino  to develop and train professional dancers, often holds auditions in the United States and Europe, but this is the first time that students in Asia have been given the opportunity. 
'I'm really looking forward to seeing the talent in Hong Kong,' says Alyse. 'I know that they take dancing seriously, so I'm excited to see what the dancers have to offer.' 
The Joffrey Ballet School - whose past faculty members include Rudolf Nureyev,  Erik Bruhn,  Carmen De Lavallade  and Yvonne Rainer  - offers a multidisciplinary  approach to ballet.
'Although ballet is at the core of what we do, we realise that dancers have to adapt to many different challenges in their professional lives,' says Alyse. 'Sometimes ballet companies aren't hiring, and a dancer may want to do a Broadway show, or a musical, or even a show in Las Vegas. 
'We want to give our students the skills to cope with everything. I think that we are the only ballet school in the US with this approach.' 
Those who attend the audition will be judged on their understanding of ballet technique, their skill at interpreting the music, skills such as hip rotation and pointe  work, and flexibility. 
Auditions are broken down into age groups from three to 25. Dancers can also apply by submitting a DVD. Students from other parts of the region are welcome to attend the auditions, Alyse says. 
There are different programmes available for successful applicants. There is an intensive summer course for ballet and a separate jazz and contemporary programme available in New York. There are also programmes in Los Angeles and Georgia. 
Prospective students can register for auditions at the Academy for Performing Arts on February 19 between 11am and noon. The auditions will take place between 1pm and 3pm, with the cost of an audition HK$200, including a ballet master class.




New York ballet school taps talent in Hong Kong