Alexa Smitherman
Alexa Smitherman, a Hoover High School junior, participated in the Nashville Ballet Summer Intensive Program.
A Hoover High School junior is among five Alabama dancers who participated in the prestigious School of Nashville Ballet Summer Intensive Program.
Alexa Smitherman, who studies at The Pointe Dance Arts at 3403 Lorna Lane in Hoover, spent part of the summer developing her ballet technique and performance skills at the official School of Nashville Ballet. Other dancers from Alabama included Brittany Lee of the Cullman Ballet Theatre School, Kelli Hart of The Dance Centre and Susan McElroy and Charlotte McRae of the Alabama Ballet.
This year’s Summer Intensive program attracted 224 students from across the country, plus four international students from Brazil, China and Columbia.
“Summer Intensive gives dancers the freedom to fully concentrate on advancing their ballet training without a school schedule,” Nashville Ballet’s Director of Artistic Operations Sharyn Mahoney said. “By taking a wide variety of classes from ballet and contemporary to acting and musical theater, students leave with the knowledge and skills to take their future performance opportunities to the next level.”
Summer Intensive students have the chance to train with Nashville Ballet’s internationally recognized teachers and be seen by artistic director and CEO Paul Vasterling. Nashville Ballet has five Summer Intensive sessions for ages 11 and over, ranging from one to five weeks.
“This program is special because students not only receive quality ballet training, but they get a real sense of what Nashville the city is like,” Mahoney said. “Students have the opportunity to stay at nearby Belmont University and go on organized trips to museums, botanical gardens and parks. They are encouraged to explore outside of the classroom to see how our company fits into the city’s artistic community.”
For more information on Nashville Ballet’s Summer Intensive, visit nashvilleballet.com/summer-intensive/.
Nashville Ballet is the largest professional ballet company in Tennessee. Nashville Ballet presents a varied repertoire of classical ballet and contemporary works by noted choreographers, including original works by Artistic Director and CEO Paul Vasterling.
