New Website
Welcome to the new professional website for Hamel Dance Academy! Please note that I have shortened the name from the original: Hamel Academy of Classical Dance. This will streamline the business name with the domain name and contact information. Second, I would like to congratulate all the dancers on their beautiful winter performance on February 26th at Wascher School in Lafayette. The students did an astounding job. Thank you, parents, for all your support and assistance behind-the-scenes. The fruits of your sacrifice and dedication to our young dancers was certainly realized during their presentation. The spring performance will be held June 3, 2016, at 7:00 pm. As always, admission is free!
Read moreDance Kudos
Besides school and the weekly regimen of dance classes, several of our students have participated in additional performances and attended auditions for summer dance programs. I would like to recognize Travis Berrier and Marie Hamel. During January, they attended the audition class for Summer Dance Lab hosted annually by Whitman College. Both were accepted to the program. Congratulations! In addition, Madeleine Rapp auditioned and was accepted to The Portland Ballet’s summer dance program. Job well done! In February, Kennadi Johnston and Fate Dragoo-Williams performed during the Harlem Globe Trotters game at the Moda Center. Besides studying dance at Hamel Dance Academy, they take additional classes at Van De Veere Productions and are members of the competition team....
Read moreOne Cool Cat
One of my goals this year is to launch an arts-in-education experience for our students. Twelve of our students participated in a choreography workshop during Christmas break and the first week of January, facilitated by visiting choreographer and teacher, Janice Hurley. She also happens to be my mom! She taught and staged the children’s contemporary ballet Danger, the Dog Yard Cat. She created this work while completing her master’s thesis at Lesley University in early childhood development and dance movement. It is based on a real cat who was the mascot of Libby Riddles’ dog yard. Libby was the first woman to win the iditarod in Alaska. The students thoroughly enjoyed Janice’s exuberant personality and teaching style as well as her various warm-ups using ballet barre exercises, pilates and yoga. I enjoyed watching the students fuse their acting skills with their dance technique. Stay tuned for the upcoming performance schedule.
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Turn on the T.V.
I would like to recommend the documentary, A Ballerina’s Tale, that is currently streaming on Netflix. Thank you, Debbie H., for telling me about its availability. It chronicles Misty Copeland’s journey to her promotion as a principal dancer of American Ballet Theater during June 2015. She is the first African-American woman to achieve this level at ABT. It’s is well worth watching. She is just lovely.
Read moreRomeo and Juliet
Attending live dance performances is both exciting and enriching. In February, several of our Ballet III and IV students participated in Oregon Ballet Theater’s student outreach program and saw excerpts from James Canfield’s Romeo and Juliet. They were particularly captured by the beauty and intimacy of the choreography during the famous balcony scene. Amelie Fulmer, Fiona Kaper, Kennadi Johnston, Kwynn Johnston, Andrew Hamel, and Marie Hamel were in attendance.
For the first time, several of our young dancers saw Body Vox live in concert. It is an internationally acclaimed modern dance company based out of Portland. The students absolutely loved the performance. They were completely enthralled by the witty humor, difficult partnering skills, fluid choreography, and clever videography entrenched throughout the dances. Travis Berrier, Andrew Hamel, Marie Hamel, Livvy Headly, and Fiona Kaper all attended the concert at the Walters Cultural Center located in downtown Hillsboro.
Read morePort de Bras
These lovely Pre Ballet students beautifully incorporated port de bras (arm movements) during their dance to an excerpt from Mozart’s Salzburg Symphonies at the 2015 spring concert.
Read moreSleeping Beauty
In the past year, three of our Ballet IV students have started pointe work along with their ballet technique classes. Within the curriculum of their pre pointe/pointe training, they have learned several variations from Sleeping Beauty as derived from the original works of Petipa, a famous French ballet master and choreographer during the late 19th century.
Read moreAll Aboard!
The Tap II class delighted audiences with their expressive performance to “I’ve Been Working on the Railroad.”
Read moreI’ve Been Working on the Railroad
The intermediate tap class dazzled audiences with their thrilling rendition of “New River Train” combing their tap technique with floor work and a hoe down sequence.
Read moreWipe Out
Shuffling with lots of style into summer break, the Tap I Class performed to “Wipe Out” by the Ventures.
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