We are thrilled for the upcoming Professional Dance Experience beginning July 24 and all the dancing opportunities it has to offer! Here we will be highlighting two of our guest faculty members — Matthew Powell and Kelsey Bartman.

Providing the dancers who attend our intensive with the highest quality of teachers is of utmost importance when planning the summer schedule. Along with our fantastic guest faculty, Owner / Director Nathan Bland & BBTCD Principal Teacher, Kelly Barber will be in the studios over the course of the 4 weeks.

Matthew Powell received his training at the School of American ballet, and has danced professionally with San Francisco Opera, Pacific Northwest Ballet, Kansas City Ballet, and portrayed ‘A-rab’ in the International Tour of West Side Story. Matthew was awarded a fellowship from the New York Choreographic Institute, and recently received an award for his choreography at Regional Dance America. He is the on-set choreographer for BLOCH dancewear, and has worked as Artist in Residence at Point Park University and Hamilton College. Other commissions include Kansas City Ballet’s 50th Anniversary Season, four works for Kansas City Ballet School, the Art Exhibit “Capturing Nureyev,” and more. Matthew‘s Ballet Master experience includes Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet, Royal New Zealand Ballet, Slovak National Ballet, and the Golden Globe nominated Television Series ‘Flesh and Bone.’ He has worked as Assistant Director for various opera productions across the nation, and has taught for Juilliard, Matthew Bourne, Karole Armitage, Complexions Contemporary Ballet, Billy Elliot on Broadway, The Rock School, Trey McIntyre, Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet and more. Matthew recently finished three months as Guest Ballet Master for the Slovak National Ballet and a Guest Faculty position at Juilliard. Upcoming projects include ‘Sleeping Beauty’ for Oklahoma City Ballet, and a return engagement as Guest Ballet Master for Royal New Zealand Ballet. In the fall of 2017, Powell will be on faculty at Pointe Park Univeristy.  www.matthewpowell.org

 

Kelsey Bartman originally from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, began formal training with Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre School(PBTS) and Pittsburgh High School for the Creative and Performing Arts(CAPA). Summers were spent studying at American Ballet Theatre, New York, Jacob’s Pillow Jazz Program for two years and PBTS for several years. Kelsey then continued as a trainee with Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre(PBT). During that time she choreographed works for PBT’s School and Company. She then joined Nashville Ballet 2 in 2007 and was hired as a Nashville Ballet Apprentice. She is a co-creator of Works in Progress(WIP) Choreography Project, and has choreographed for Nashville Ballet, Nashville Ballet 2, and Texture Contemporary Ballet. Kelsey had her works Stills From Italy and Old Skin have been performed at White Wave DUMBO Dance Festival, and The Rose was showcased at Dance Canvas in Atlanta. She had the great pleasure of choreographing for Resonance Works’ production of Amahl and the Night Visitors. She has had the honor of dancing in Balanchine’s Four Temperaments, Theme and Variations, and Serenade, Sarah Slipper’s Postcards From the Boys, as well as Paul Vasterling’s Adjustable Wrench and Carmina Burana, as well as multiple works by Alan Obuzor and Gabriel Gaffney Smith. Ms. Bartman has taught for the School of Nashville Ballet, Evolve Productions, Alloy School, Laurel Youth Ballet, Xtreme Tumbling and Dance and is currently teaching for Millenium Dance Complex Pittsburgh. She has recently had the privilege of teaching a workshop for the group Yaledancers at Yale University. Kelsey is now Associate Artistic Director, Resident Choreographer, and Dancer for Texture Contemporary Ballet.

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