Kent

Eric Gross Maria Calegari and Bart Cook visited the Putnam Arts Council last week to announce their new ballet venture in Putnam County. Two of the world’s most highly acclaimed ballet aficionados have teamed up with the Putnam Arts Council and Arts on the Lake to bring professional ballet instruction to Putnam County.

Maria Calegari and her husband, Bart Cook, residents of western Kent, have been teaching young students and pre-professionals all over the US as well as ballet companies worldwide.

Calegari is a former principal dancer with the New York City Ballet while her husband choreographed and danced at the New York City Ballet while serving as ballet master.

During a visit to the Putnam Arts Council at the Tilly Foster Farm last week, Calegari expressed great optimism for the collaborative effort: “Bart and I are very familiar with the Arts Council as well as Arts on the Lake. This venture is a natural outgrowth of reaching out to our community by offering what we do best—ballet teaching.”

Calegari called the endeavor very different since “we will be working with a non-commercial organization.”

Joyce Picone, executive director of the Putnam Arts Council, said inquiries about ballet had been made over the years by constituents.

Ellen Leerburger, director of educational programming at Arts on the Lake, predicted that young and old alike will benefit from the collaboration.

A pilot program gets underway Oct.5 at both Arts on the Lake in Lake Carmel and at the farm in Southeast. Kinder ballet is geared for children ages 4-6 and teaches about creative movement, ballet positions, strengthening exercises, and choreography. Ballet 1 will teach first and second graders—children aged 6-8—about the “ballet barre and center” while Ballet 2 classes for children aged 8 and older will instruct more complicated exercises and repertory. Ballet 3 is for students ages 10 and over who have had previous ballet training while Ballet 4 classes for teens ages 16 and over will be geared for the serious student with at least four years of ballet training. Teen/adult classes will also be offered for non-professional dancers at all levels.

Leerburger suggested that prospective students check out a sample class: “Come watch and view the commitment needed. Maria and Bart are consummate professionals.”

Calegari added that neither she nor her husband wanted to frighten away prospective students. “For the younger child ballet is based on exploration, learning and enjoying creativity with music,” she explained.” It will be fun.”

Picone described the partnership between the Putnam Arts Council and Arts on the Lake as being exciting: “We will now be able to share audiences and market costs while launching many new ideas and programs for the community that we both serve. Maria and Bart are world-class artists, and by affiliating with us add a special genre to the scope of services offered.”

Calegari and Cook returned last week from Amsterdam, where they performed to rave reviews. The couple has also danced throughout Europe and Russia as well as the U.S.

Maria admitted, “We love kids. We don’t have any of our own but want to be around children and teach them the art of ballet in a supportive and disciplined setting.”

Additional information about the upcoming classes and the collaboration is available on the Putnam Arts Council website—www.putnamartscouncil. com or by visiting the Arts on the Lake website at artsonthelake.org.

—Eric Gross