Events

Master Class With David Keener

Created by Huntsville Ballet School (See other events)
  • Oct 25, 2009 from 5:00am to 8:00am
  • Location: HBS Studio
  • Latest Activity: Oct 22, 2020
Ballet 2x-3x 10:00-11:30Ballet 4-6 11:30-1:00HBS Students $15Non Students $25David Keener – Chair, Dance Department, Alabama School of Fine ArtsDavid began studying ballet in up state New York with Norma Ferrara Gelose and was awarded several scholarships with Harkness House New York and Watch Hill, Rhode Island and Banff School of Fine Arts. After graduating from high school, David was invited to continue training with Kathleen Crofton in Buffalo, NY on full scholarship and to begin a professional career with American Classical Ballet.As a soloist and principal dance artist with Maryland Ballet, Ballet Met Columbus , David has had the privilege to perform roles in works by Alvin Ailey, Sir Fredrick Ashton, George Balanchine, Petrus Bosman, John Butler, Jack Carter, Charles Czarny, William Dollar, Fredderick Franklin, Sir Kenneth MacMillan, Ruth Page, Marius Petipa, Fernand Nault, Jimmy Starbuck, John Taras, Domy Reiter-Soffer, Eric Bruhn, Hans Von Manen and many other internationally known choreographers. Some of David’s more memorable roles include Prince Desiree, Blue Bird and The Wicked Faerie Carabosse in The Sleeping Beauty, Sugar Plum Cavalier in The Nutcracker, Dracula in Dracula - The Ballet, Mercutio in Ruth Page’s Romeo and Juliet, Gurn in La Sylphide, Tancred in Le Combat, and his performances in Wayne Soulant’s Victorian Interlude, Balanchine’s Allegro Brilliant and Square Dances, and Jack Carter’s Three Dances To Japanese Music.After retiring from performance, David began teaching ballet and has held full and part time faculty positions with many prestigious educational organizations throughout the United States including National Academy of Arts, Interlochen Arts Academy, University of Illinois, University of Utah and, more recently the Virginia School of the Arts where he was Director of Dance for many years. David enjoyed implementing and facilitating new programs and performance opportunities while with the VSA that offered high visibility for its students both undergrad and seniors. During his tenure with VSA, many of its graduating students entered the professional dance world in many prestigious companies including Boston Ballet, Joffrey Ballet, Houston Ballet, Miami City Ballet, Ballet Austin, as well as Broadway and off Broadway shows and musicals. David was Artistic Director of Alba Dance International in Northern Italy and was able to create a “bridge” for VSA students to attend annual summer dance workshops there. He has also lead groups of students to perform in festivals such as Spoletto Festival Charleston, SC, Regional and National High School Dance Festivals in Baltimore MD, Long Beach CA and Norfolk, VA.David created a new production of Romeo and Juliet as an artist-in-residence for Ballet Clasico Nacional Dominican Republic which premiered in Santo Domingo in September 2007. Choreographed in a contemporary style with out a specific time or place as in more traditional versions, Romeo and Juliet won critical acclaim with audiences and dance critics in both Santo Domingo and Santiago. Four principal dancers from the work have been nominated to receive the National Cassandra Award (similar to receiving and Oscar) for their performances in Romeo and Juliet. Some of David’s other choreographic achievements include Madame Bovary and Carmen for Ballets de San Juan Puerto Rico, a full-length Beauty and the Beast for Canyon Concert Ballet in Colorado and numerous short and diverse works for various repertoire companies and schools throughout the US and abroad.David just completed the ABT National Teacher Training Curriculum in New York and is now fully certified to teach in the American Ballet Theatre National Syllabus.
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