Ballet for everyone

trevor.kenney — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 21:30:37 +0000

As a 10-year-old child growing up in Montreal, Mary Falconer fell in love with ballet when a neighbourhood school began offering Saturday morning classes.

Her teachers were part of a ballet association that sent instructors to schools and community halls to teach children in their own neighbourhoods. It was a philosophy that stuck with Falconer, whose passion for ballet progressed into a career and a lifelong study of ballet.

When Falconer arrived in Lethbridge 30 years ago as a young Canadian Ballet Association certified teacher, she says she didn't feel the need to have her own studio.

Long-time teacher Mary Falconer believes ballet isn't just for prima ballerinas.

Instead, Falconer, who has studied under the Canadian Ballet Association; The National Ballet School; Royal Winnipeg; Stanford ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ; and many international teachers; established herself in the community by approaching local schools without ballet programs.

In 1993, she established the first ballet program at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge, offering programming for children, youth and adults. Almost 20 years later, there are now 330 students enrolled in classes each year taught by Falconer and two other teachers.

Classical ballet is an art form that continues to charm dancers and audiences alike. "I think it still holds that mystic place of beauty and grace," says Falconer. "Some people dance for the physical component, others feel a connection between the movement and the music, or like performing."

But for all its charm, most students don't intend to become professional dancers or ballet teachers. Nevertheless, all students can gain a life-long appreciation of the art form, greater self-esteem and body awareness. Falconer's goal is to help students get the most from the art form.

"I never need perfection – but I need their best," she says.

After many decades, Falconer has never lost her passion for teaching.

"When I'm teaching, I'm in another world – the world of my students," she says.

Dancing Through the Decades show

trevor.kenney — Wed, 12 May 2010 20:35:38 +0000

Parents and grandparents alike will flock to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge this week to take in the U of L elementary ballet program's Dancing Through the Decades show.

The show features children from the elementary ballet class instructed by Mary Falconer. A yearly offering through the Sport and Recreation Services Department, the program offers children the chance to learn the beauty of classical dance technique while they develop grace, posture, musicality and concentration. A creative focus is placed on developing self-expression and the teaching method is based on the standards of the Canadian Ballet Association.

The Dancing Through the Decades show runs Thursday, May 13 through Sunday, May 16 with performances Thursday and Friday evenings at 7 p.m., Saturday at noon and 3:30 p.m. and Sunday afternoon at 2 p.m. All performances are in the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Theatre.

Tickets for the show are priced at $13.50 and are available at the Customer Service desk in the 1^st Choice Savings Centre for Sport and Wellness, or by calling 403-329-2706.

Elementary ballet classes are offered each calendar year and run from September through May. Ages three to 17 can participate with classes divided primarily by age.

For more information on elementary ballet or any other offerings by Sport and Recreation Services, follow this link.

UNews - Mary Falconer

Ballet for everyone

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Dancing Through the Decades show

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