Dance notes
Four Tristate ballet students make national scholarship finals
By Carol Norris
Four ballet tech ohio dance students won major awards
at the Youth America Grand Prix in Chicago Feb. 2-3. The
competition, established in 2000, is the only one of its kind to
award scholarships for leading U.S. and international dance
companies. All four students, who attend the Foster dance
studio run by Claudia Rudolf Barrett, will move on to the
scholarship finals in New York's Lincoln Center on May 6.
In the junior division (12-14) Hannah Spiegel won gold,
and Courtney Sanborn the silver. Leigh Lijoi (junior division)
and Kristen Phelps (senior division, 15-18) did not win titles,
but scored well enough to move on to the next level of
competition.
The girls were coached by ballet tech ohio guest
teachers Anna Reznik and Alexei Kremnev (former Cincinnati
Ballet principals, now Northern Kentucky University dance
faculty members).
Ms. Barrett was pleased to see that her students' “clean
techniques stood up against the others” and was touched by
their “confident self-assurance” onstage.
“Their excellent coaching and expertise were evident,”
Ms. Barrett says. Noting it was her students' first competition,
Ms. Barrett credits Ms. Reznik and Mr. Kremnev for the high
finishes.
Contact Carol Norris by fax, (812) 537-5693; e-mail
norris@one.net.
Cincinnati Enquirer contributor
February 10, 2002
 Hannah Spiegel Gold Medal, Junior Division |
 Courtney Sanborn Silver Medal, Junior Division |
 Leigh Lijoi Finalist, Junior Division |
 Kristen Phelps Finalist, Senior Division |
|
Photos by Sandy Underwood | |||
Return to the Recent Reviews Page