By Sarah Hricko, DANCECleveland

“Disney Week” is what The University of Akron dance students call the one week of residency with world renowned dance companies each year! Collaborating with DANCECleveland, The University of Akron’s E.J. Thomas Hall and dance program have sustained a successful 8 year relationship full of residencies and performances from the best of the best in the dance world. Since 2006, DANCECleveland has opened each new dance series at E.J. Thomas Hall in Akron and made it a point to help bring performing professional dancers into The University of Akron’s fabulous studio spaces to work with their dance majors. Dance companies have included Alonzo King LINES Ballet, Paul Taylor Dance Company, MOMIX, BalletX and many more, each giving their own insight into the professional world of dance.

This year, the week-long events started Sunday, Oct. 5 with a pre-professional level master class at Guzetta Hall with Aspen Santa Fe Ballet’s Artistic Director, Jean-Philippe Malaty, followed by a pre-performance chat in the theatre and a spectacular performance of Aspen Santa Fe Ballet that evening. The mixed repertoire company performed three pieces, “Over Glow,” created for the company by Jorman Elo in 2011 , “Square None” from 2012 by choreographer Norbert De La Cruz III was danced to music by Alva Noto and Syuichi Sakamoto, Michelle Ross, George Frederic Handel and the music box sounds of Aphex Twin, and “Return to a Strange Land,” a work by Jiri Kylian, set to music by Leos Janacek. The program featured a wide range of movement stylization, offering the dance students and audience members the chance to see classical ballet with a contemporary twist. The performance was followed by the chance to ask dancers questions in the Q & A session.

Read reviews of the ASFB performance here: The Plain Dealer Review by Roy Berko AXS.Com

The performance was an exciting way to kick off the even more memorable part for the students, the week-long residency! Working in The University of Akron dance spaces, students enjoyed ballet class with several ASFB dancers, and ASFB’s Executive Director. These classes help prepare students for the professional level of dance. It gives them an inside look at what a contemporary ballet dancer’s life is like, supplementing their dance training from UA with professional expertise of currently performing artist. In addition, this week of classes gives students access to ask questions, and broadens their knowledge of dance opportunities that are out there after they graduate. They had the opportunity to learn pieces from the ASFB repertoire, allowing them to try out new movements and styles of dance that will make them flexible and adaptable and better prepared when taking on new styles in auditions later on. The residency is all about personal connections. Having the opportunity to work alongside some of the best dancers in the world, has proven to be one of the highlights for many of the UA dance students.

Here is what The University of Akron dance students have to share about the residency: “Students actually got to learn repertoire from the performance. The entire company got together to share a tidbit of intricate choreography with us. That choreographic “tidbit” was one of the highlights of the show and it was almost surreal to feel it in our own bodies!” “During the residencies we have take class from the dancers, which is amazing, however it was so great to take from the company’s directors this year too. Both teachers really gave us a sense of what an executive team is looking for in an audition, and geared their classes towards preparing us for the audition track.” “I feel very blessed to have had these master teachers who brought their experiences as former dancers and current directors into the classroom”

For more about DANCECleveland, visit www.dancecleveland.org. For more information about Aspen Santa Fe Ballet, visit: www.aspensantafeballet.org.