The Maple Conservatory of Dance Participating In ABT's National Training Curriculum

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March 14, 2008
(Updated: April 21, 2008)

© American Ballet TheatreThe Maple Conservatory of Dance is pleased to announce that four of its ballet faculty will be participating in American Ballet Theatre's National Training Curriculum. These faculty members are: Charles Maple, Gilma Bustillo DeQuattro, Chris Martin and Laura Martin.

Announced by ABT in December 2007, ABT's National Training Curriculum is a program for the development and training of young students that embraces sound ballet principles and consists of a comprehensive set of age-appropriate, outcome-based guidelines, consistent with the best practices in the fields of sports psychology, child & adolescent development, nutrition and training. ABT's National Training Curriculm incorporates elements of the French, Italian and Russian schools of training and is currently in place at The Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School at ABT in New York.

Under the direction of ABT Artistic Director Kevin McKenzie, ABT's National Training Curriculum was designed and written by Franco De Vita, Principal of the JKO School, and Raymond Lukens, Artistic Associate of the NYU Masters Program in ABT Ballet Pedagogy, in collaboration with ABT's Artistic Staff and a Medical Advisory Board.

"The Maple Conservatory faculty and I have been eagerly waiting for the introduction of ABT's National Training Curriculum," said Charles Maple. "ABT's curriculum represents the best elements from the French, Italian, and Russian schools of ballet training and it will give our students the ability to easily adapt to all styles and techniques of dance. The faculty and I are totally charged to be in a position to implement this system of training to the benefit of our students and faculty."

Later this month, Mr. Maple, Ms. Bustillo-DeQuattro and Mr. Martin will begin comprehensive training for ABT's National Training Curriculum in Los Angeles at a special, week-long ABT Teacher Training Intensive that's exclusive for ABT alumni members. (Mr. Maple, Ms. Bustillo-DeQuattro and Mr. Martin are all former company members of ABT; Ms. Martin, also an ABT alumni member, will participate in ABT's Teacher Training Intensive at a later date.)

The goal for this month's ABT Teacher Training Intensive is two-fold: 1) to teach the first four (out of eight) levels of ABT's National Training Curriculum; and 2) to officially certify participating ABT alumni in ABT's National Training Curriculum.

The ABT National Training Curriculum will become standard at all ABT pre-professional training programs, including ABT II, ABT Summer Intensives and outreach programs.

The ABT's National Training Curriculum will also become the standard curriculum at the Maple Conservatory of Dance.

For more information on the Maple Conservatory's participation in ABT's National Training Curriculum, contact us.

Update, 21 April 2008:  Our Conservatory faculty members, Chris Martin, Gilma Bustillo DeQuattro and Charles Maple have been officially certified as ABT National Training Curriculum Teachers in Primary through Level 3. These levels directly correlate to our Conservatory program's Primary through B5 levels. The ABT National Training curriculum for Primary through Level 3 has already been implemented into our Conservatory program and plans are underway to complete our ABT training certification in the remaining, upper levels.

Visit ABT.org for more on ABT's National Training Curriculum »

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