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Princeton NJ Back to School Announcements

Princeton Ballet School, the Official School of American Repertory Ballet, Announces its 2012-2013 Merit Scholarship Recipients

Princeton Ballet School announced its 2012-2013 merit scholarship recipients at its performance of Don Quixote Saturday, May 5 at the Patriots Theater at the War Memorial in Trenton, NJ.  The organization also took time in the pre-show ceremony to recognize the accomplishments of its graduating seniors.  Princeton Ballet School has a national reputation for its excellence in dance training, and the Don Quixote production was a showcase for these exceptional talents at the school. The production featured over 400 dancers ranging in age from 5 years to adult, with the lead roles performed by members of the School’s Professional Training Programs. The following scholarships were given to promising young dancers who will continue their studies at Princeton Ballet School:

The Audrée Estey Award is named for Princeton Ballet School’s founder and is given to a dancer of exceptional talent who is dedicated to dance and the high standards of the School, and who serves as a role model to others through exemplary attendance, responsiveness, and a positive attitude.  This year’s award was offered to Brandi Pinnix. Brandi is from Monmouth Junction, and is a member of the Professional Training Program at Princeton Ballet School.  

The Ruth Pettit Award was established by Ms. Pettit’s family in her memory.  Ms. Pettit was a Princeton Ballet School parent volunteer who worked on the company’s costumes for many years.  Her daughter, Dodie, went on to a career on Broadway. This award is given each year to a young female of dancer of outstanding talent.  This year's recipients were Siobhan Howley (of Burlington Township), Ellen Lou (Hillsborough), and Chelsea PeBenito (East Brunswick).  They all had featured roles in Don Quixote.

The Philip Jerry Award was established by Princeton Ballet School to honor the memory of the former ballet master and faculty member and is given each year to a young male dancer of great promise.  Mr. Jerry was a principal dancer with the Joffrey Ballet, and then came to Princeton University as a returning adult undergraduate.  This year Kylan Hillman received the award. Kylan, a resident of Pennington, has been studying at Princeton Ballet School since childhood.


The Molly Clifton Award was established by Lisa and Lionel de Ravel to honor the memory of Ms. Clifton, a fellow dancer with Ms. de Ravel in American Repertory Ballet.  It goes to a younger female dancer of great promise who exhibits great citizenship and leadership qualities.  The recipient this year is Fuki Takahashi. Fuki, a resident of Princeton, started training at Princeton Ballet School upon moving here from Japan two years ago.

Sally Edwards and her husband Don established a scholarship fund several years ago to be given to a dancer who exhibits a great enthusiasm and joy in dance classes.  Ms. Edwards was a teacher at Princeton Ballet School for over 25 years. Chandra Blount received the Edwards Scholarship this year. Chandra, a resident of Mahwah and dancer in Princeton Ballet School's Professional Training Program, started her training at Princeton Ballet this past fall.

The Nora Orphanides Award goes to an outstanding young pre-professional who relocates to the area to study at Princeton Ballet School.  Ms. Orphanides, a long-time faculty member at Princeton Ballet School, former board member, and donor, funds this scholarship to provide opportunities for talented dancers outside the area.   This year, the recipients were Alessia Astro and Andrea D'Annunzio, who are both Trainees in the Princeton Ballet School/American Repertory Ballet's Trainee Program, a bridge program for young dancers aspiring to professional contracts.  Alessia moved to Princeton from Rome, Italy, to be a part of the program.  Andrea, from Conshohocken, Pennsylvania, had already graduated from Butler University with a B.A. in Dance Pedagogy, before joining the Trainee program.

The school also honored its graduating seniors who include Laura Holton, Elizabeth Karnaukh, Aleshia Rider, Christine Settembrino, Lucy Stone, Leah Bella Zinder.  Aleshia Rider is also the recipient of the Gregory Hines DANCE POWER Scholarship, which is given to a graduating DANCE POWER student who will be attending Rutgers University.

About American Repertory Ballet
American Repertory Ballet's mission is to bring the joy, beauty, artistry and discipline of classical and contemporary dance to New Jersey and nationwide audiences and to dance students through artistic and educational programs.  The organization is comprised of: American Repertory Ballet, the preeminent contemporary ballet company in the state; Princeton Ballet School, one of the largest and most respected non-profit dance schools in the nation; and the Access and Enrichment initiatives, ranging from the long-running and acclaimed DANCE POWER program to the newly launched On Pointe series.

The professional company is a classical and contemporary ballet company committed to presenting ballets from the 19th and 20th century alongside new and existing works by choreographers from today.  Founded in 1963, the company is currently under the artistic leadership of Douglas Martin, former principal dancer with the Joffrey Ballet.  American Repertory Ballet has been designated a "Major Arts Institution" by the New Jersey State Council on the Arts consistently for the past two decades, and has repeatedly been awarded a Citation of Excellence by the Council and was voted People's Choice for Best Dance Company in 2008 and 2011.

Princeton Ballet School has gained a national reputation for its excellent dance training since its founding in 1954 by Audrée Estey. Princeton Ballet School currently enrolls approximately 1500 students annually from age three through adult and is directed by Mary Pat Robertson.  Princeton Ballet School has studios in Cranbury, New Brunswick, and Princeton which are equipped with shock-absorbent floors, non-slip dance surfaces and pianos for live accompaniment.  Many of Princeton Ballet School’s faculty members have performed professionally; others have attained graduate degrees in dance education and have won awards for their teaching.  Students from the school have gone on to dance in professional ballet and contemporary dance companies in the US and abroad. Graduates have danced with such diverse organizations as the American Ballet Theatre, Paul Taylor Dance Company, Miami City Ballet, STREB, Complexions, Mark Morris Dance Company, Twyla Tharp, Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre, and Momix.

The Access and Enrichment wing of American Repertory Ballet reaches out to the community through their acclaimed DANCE POWER residency program in New Brunswick, their On Pointe programs, and through master classes, residencies, lecture demonstrations and school time matinees throughout the state. ARB launched On Pointe in 2010 to help make ballet more accessible to the community.  The Enrichment Series brings guest speakers, lecture demonstrations, intimate company performance previews and panel discussions to seasoned dance enthusiasts and new students alike on a monthly basis.  “Inside Don Quixote” will be held at the Princeton Ballet School, located at 301 N. Harrison Street in Princeton, NJ (right above McCaffrey’s Super Market).