Two ballet students who trained in the Tri-Cities are flying high after being chosen to be part of professional dance companies.
Port Moody’s Ben Freemantle, a former student of the Caulfield School of Dance, started today (Monday) in the corps de ballet at San Francisco Ballet while Place des Arts alumna Jeannine Haller begins her apprenticeship with the National Ballet of Canada next month.
Freemantle, a Port Moody secondary grad who was visiting Metro Vancouver last week, was named an apprentice last year after two years with the San Fran school.
However, being with the corps de ballet — two steps below the most prestigious title of principal dancer — “is an official statement: You are a member of the San Francisco Ballet,” he said. “You are part of the company.”
Freemantle, 19, said he doesn’t know how long he’ll remain with the corps before he’s promoted to the soloist level. “It’s entirely up the discretion of the artistic director.”
For the first half of the 2015-’16 season, Fremantle said he’ll be in rehearsals for the lead up to the 30 shows of The Nutcracker in December. Afterward, the company will perform a series of events until next May.
His goal is the follow in the footsteps of Miles Thatcher, who is also in the SFB corps de ballet and was commissioned to create a ballet for the 2015 repertory season (last year, Freemantle choreographed Bare, a new work for the school’s student showcase).
Meanwhile, Haller, 19, learned last month she was one of 10 dancers accepted as an apprentice to the National Ballet of Canada, whose artistic director Karen Kain is marking her 10th year at the helm. Its season begins Aug. 4.
A Burnaby native and former student of Place des Arts’ Lucienne Anczykowski, Haller has been with the National Ballet School in Toronto for the past two years.
“I started ballet because, when I was very young, I had a babysitter who danced and she inspired me by showing me her pointe shoes,” she said.
As an apprentice, Haller will be in some company productions (The Nutcracker, The Winter’s Tale, La Sylphide). “I am extremely grateful to have a contract with the National Ballet of Canada and very excited for the coming year. It's incredible to know I can make a living doing something I love so much.”
