Progressive, traditional dance at SVPA
Part two of a series of articles about the school of Visual and Performing Arts
Cindy Taren
Issue date: 11/11/04 Section: Arts & Entertainment
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Last week we visited the School of Visual and Performing Arts in Stroudsburg and got a bird's eye view of a kung fu lesson given by Marilyn Cooper. This week, we're going back to the SVPA, but this time, dance is the focus.
On Tuesday evenings, instructor Paula Heeschen leads a group of beginner/intermediate ballet students on the path of this traditional and beautiful movement art. Heeschen is also a soloist with the Dance and Paper Theater at the SVPA, but she has taught beginners here since the studio opened nearly five years ago. "I would like to do more," she said (the school is in need of another dance instructor), but she must maintain her lucrative career as an editor at the Pocono Record.
Before class begins, Elisa Guerra quietly reads a ballet magazine. Guerra, an eighth grader from Brodheadsville, has been taking this class for five weeks, though she danced when she was younger too. She enjoys the class and likes her teacher. She helps a fellow student set up the practice bars on the floor before class begins.
"It's a very mixed class," said Alice Prall, a 57 year old student from Brodheadsville. Prall works three doors down from the SVPA at DR's Custom Framing and Gallery.
A media artist who "always loved ballet," Prall is satisfied with the traditional-style expertise demonstrated by her teacher. She wears a gossamer dance skirt handed up to her by her daughter, who dances professionally on the other side of the country.
"Let's imagine a paper doll," said Heeschen as she positioned herself in front of the small class of five. Of course she was referring to the ballet dancer's traditional posture of eliminating the natural curve of the spine and flattening the stomach, while standing as upright as possible.
They begin with a series of slow plies (which are not unlike graceful squats), while concentrating on their perfect, paper doll images in the wall length mirror before them. The arms orbit the body in long, flowing strokes in the air for a complete picture of movement.
On Tuesday evenings, instructor Paula Heeschen leads a group of beginner/intermediate ballet students on the path of this traditional and beautiful movement art. Heeschen is also a soloist with the Dance and Paper Theater at the SVPA, but she has taught beginners here since the studio opened nearly five years ago. "I would like to do more," she said (the school is in need of another dance instructor), but she must maintain her lucrative career as an editor at the Pocono Record.
Before class begins, Elisa Guerra quietly reads a ballet magazine. Guerra, an eighth grader from Brodheadsville, has been taking this class for five weeks, though she danced when she was younger too. She enjoys the class and likes her teacher. She helps a fellow student set up the practice bars on the floor before class begins.
"It's a very mixed class," said Alice Prall, a 57 year old student from Brodheadsville. Prall works three doors down from the SVPA at DR's Custom Framing and Gallery.
A media artist who "always loved ballet," Prall is satisfied with the traditional-style expertise demonstrated by her teacher. She wears a gossamer dance skirt handed up to her by her daughter, who dances professionally on the other side of the country.
"Let's imagine a paper doll," said Heeschen as she positioned herself in front of the small class of five. Of course she was referring to the ballet dancer's traditional posture of eliminating the natural curve of the spine and flattening the stomach, while standing as upright as possible.
They begin with a series of slow plies (which are not unlike graceful squats), while concentrating on their perfect, paper doll images in the wall length mirror before them. The arms orbit the body in long, flowing strokes in the air for a complete picture of movement.