Ballet

Ballet

Biography:

She performed with NYC Opera Ballet, NJ Ballet, Eugene Ballet in Oregon, Ontario Ballet Theater, in the Edinburgh Festival, with Cork City Ballet in Ireland and at Lincoln Center Out-of-Doors with a repertory spanning classics like The Sugar Plum Fairy to “Shakers” by American modern-dance pioneer Doris Humphrey and works by Graham and Hawkins company members. She is a Co-Director for Omega Dance Company where she has performed and choreographed for almost 20 years and has choreographed and set works for the National Cathedral in Washington DC, Cathedral of St. John the Divine, St. Ignatius of Loyola and other settings. She directs Dance Ministries at The Church of the Village whose famous annual Christmas Pageant features tap-dancing sheep, and where Omega is now an Artist-in-Residence. In addition, Martha is also a faculty member of Dancewave in Brooklyn.

Class Description:

Martha believes that dance unites body, mind, and spirit, regardless of student level, and that understanding ballet technique is a tool for dancers in all genres. Strongly articulated vocabulary is offered in a welcoming and nurturing class environment, with guidance to understand placement and alignment based on each dancer’s body’s structure. Dancers are encouraged to visualize energy lines through the body and to focus on where to initiate rotational or traveling force. Clear explanations of Barre and Center-floor vocabulary break down step execution; repetition develops strength and proper execution of steps. Upper level classes feature increased complexity, weight and direction changes, and introduce more advanced step vocabulary and faster musical tempi.

Check out Martha in Dance Teacher Magazine HERE!

https://https://dance-teacher.com/martha-chapman/