Aylmer girl heads to NYC!

Accepted at the prestigious Joffrey Ballet School

Liliane Spirito, a 15-year-old Aylmer ballerina, has been accepted by the Ballet Trainee Program at the Joffrey Ballet School, a world-renowned international dance school. “I am very proud.  It’s a huge opportunity,” says her mother, Theresa Spirito, the vice-president of Creation Danse Canadienne (CDC) on Belmont Street. The rigorous program, aimed at serious, diligent students who aspire to dance professionally, trains dancers from around the world in classical ballet technique and artistry.

Liliane, who studied at Joffrey this summer, says, “The teachers are really great.  They give us an understanding of how the body works, about muscle memory.  I’ll have classes inflamenco, conditioning, ballet and pointe (ballet with pointe shoes that allow the dancers to stand on their toes safely).” 

 

She adds, “During the year, I’ll have classes and performance classes all day, so I’ll be dancing from 8 am to 5:30 pm, or forty hours a week.” Even though ballet is an extremely strenuous art, Liliane says she doesn’t feel tired after all that dancing. “My body gets used to it. But after a long day of dancing, it feels so good to take a warm shower and get into bed.”

Liliane is eager to begin in September.  “The teachers really care. Usually you can’t make company and travel the world until you’re about seventeen, but if they like you and see something in you, they’ll take you under their wing.” The 53-year-old school has an extensive curriculum, with serious, demanding classes not only in ballet, but in modern dance, choreography, dance history, music, Pilates and yoga. It has a nutrition and wellness clinic and a dance massage clinic. In short, everything about the school is focused on enabling already talented dancers to reach their ultimate potential, making Joffrey the school of choice for aspiring dancers from around the world. Says Liliane, “My roommate this summer was from Brazil!”  

“I love ballet; I love the music and how the movements flow with the rhythm. I like how I feel when I’m dancing. It’s like my body takes over when I’m on stage; it’s muscle memory,” says Liliane. Her mother Theresa points out that the body can only develop “muscle memory” by spending hundreds, if not thousands, of hours practicing and training. “It’s my dream and my goal to be a professional ballerina.”  Her years of training at CDC and, of course, her own hard work and dedication, have led her to this prestigious school, so her chances of fulfilling her dream of dancing on a professional stage are high, indeed.