PCS Alumni e-Newsletter - Professional Children`s School

Alumni Newsletter
Spring 2011
We achieved the
Challenge!
thank you!
A generous supporter donated $25,000 to the PCS
Tuition Assistance Fund thanks to the many new and
reenergized donors in our community of alumni and
friends. Since we completed the challenge by the
March 31st deadline, our donor pledged the challenge
again for 2011-2012. Thank you for your help in
reaching this milestone!
Upcoming Events:
• Almost half the cast of Jerome Robbins’ NY Export:
Opus Jazz The Film are PCS alumni. “Shot on location in
New York City and starring an ensemble cast of New
York City Ballet dancers, NY Export: Opus Jazz takes
Jerome Robbins’ 1958 ‘ballet in sneakers’ and
reimagines it for a new generation in this scripted
adaptation. After winning an Audience Award at the
2010 South by Southwest Film Festival, the film aired
nationally on PBS’ Great Performances series and was
nominated for the Rose d’Or Award” www.opusjazz.com.
The film is now available on DVD. Watch for Adam
Henrickson ’98, Brittany Pollack ’07, Georgina
Pazcoguin ’03, Gretchen Smith ’06, Rebecca Krohn
’99, Robert Fairchild ‘04 and Tiler Peck ’06. •
Another film in which PCS
alumni are prominently
featured is the recent
Black Swan. Almost half of
the corps de ballet were
PCS alumni including:
Abigail Mentzer ’01,
Barette
Vance
’02,
Jessy Hendrickson ’95,
Genevieve LaBean ’99,
Rachel
Jambois
’08,
Ryoko Sadoshima ’07,
Lauren Fadeley ’03 and
Carrie Lee Riggins ’98.
Mary Helen Bowers ’97
trained Natalie Portman
for the role. •
May 4, 2011: Spring Benefit
At the Manhattan Penthouse on lower Fifth Avenue.
Enjoy cocktails, dinner and a special cabaret
performance by some of our most talented students
and returning alumni. Proceeds from the event help
the Tuition Assistance Fund. There is a reduced ticket
price
available
for
alumni.
Visit
www.pcsnyc.org/giving to reserve your tickets online.
If you would like to be involved in planning upcoming
events, finding lost alumni or helping to build a stronger
alumni community, contact Amanda Bastian at
[email protected], (212)582-3116 x118 or find and
friend me on Facebook:
www.facebook.com/amanda.bastian
1941
• We were saddened to learn of the death of Sidney
Lumet, one of the most prolific directors of the modern
era. He was nominated for
the Academy Award as Best
Director for 12 Angry Men
(1957), Dog Day Afternoon
(1975), Network (1976)
and The Verdict (1982) and
received an Academy Award
for Life Achievement in
2005. Other credits include
Long Day's Journey into
Night
(1962),
Serpico
(1973), Murder on the
Orient Express (1974), The
Wiz (1978), Prince of the
City (1981). He authored his memoirs, Making Movies
(1995). Lumet preferred a New York setting for his
films. When asked in a 1997 interview about how he
wanted to "go out," Lumet responded, "I don't think
about it. I'm not religious. I do know that I don't want to
take up any space. Burn me up and scatter my ashes
over Katz's Delicatessen.” The Huffington Post reported:
“Sidney Lumet lived to 86, and died a native son and a
prince of New York City… The news of his death was
received as if this country had just lost an American
treasure, which it had.” •
1942
• Hildegarde Balmain Preston wrote to us: "I did not
graduate from PCS but spent four years there (8th
grade on). [I] was the first amateur figure skater [and]
needed board approval [to attend]. Rose Marie, Jack
Jordan and Nan (Barton) Walner were my buddies.
Loved the school, Mrs. Motley [was] my French teacher
and Mrs. Livewright [taught] History.... I quit school in
'43 to train for figure skating nationals held in NY at the
old Madison Square Garden. [I] won junior nationals
and went on to teach skating at Rockefeller Plaza. In
1951 I married John Preston, UN and US Marine Officer
(he fought in Korean War). [We] have two sons
(swimmers), 4 grandchildren and one great granchild.
Love to PCS. Wish we still sang the school song to the
tune of 'Finiculi': ‘Some think we need a vacation but
not so we geography, history, french and grammar
boo!!! O yes O' PCS’
etc. Alumni would
come on stage after
graduation and we
would sing." •
chosen by many book clubs, and was named one of the
20 top novels of 2010 by January Magazine. The actress
Barbara Rinella has begun her wide-reaching series of
one-woman performances of the novel. The paperback
will be released April 5th with the original cover of two
young lovers. Parts of Marrying Mozart will be read by
the BBC Radio 3 program Words and Music on February
1st in the UK. I am within a few months of finishing my
new novel about the love story of Elizabeth Barrett
Browning and Robert Browning, tentatively called The
Poet in the Tower… For my personal life, my husband
and I have five sons and five grandchildren between us!
It has been a good year full of many rich things: family,
writers, trips, concerts, my church, spiritual afternoons
and parities, many new friends and many old ones. We
travelled to Switzerland to see family in St. Gallen and
Locarno and to Brittany. I have studied Italian and hope
to go to Italy in the late spring. It has been a very rich
year and I look forward to the new one and to hearing
from all of you! And wish you all wonderful things this
year!” In early April Stephanie was interviewed by the
Huffington Post. When asked: “What advice would you
give to fledgling historical novelists?” She replied,
“Study history and social history, learn everything you
can, and then go and create your own living beings from
your own emotional experience. If one person gives you
a certain piece of feedback about your writing, tuck it in
your mind. If three people say the same thing, listen
very seriously.” •
1955
• The fourth edition
of Ivan Cury’s textbook, Directing &
Producing for Television, was recently
published by Focal
Press. •
1959
• From Ellen Shire: “I attended PCS in the late 50’s
and went on to join NYC Ballet in 1959. I have since
written and illustrated children's books (six of which
were published) and am now a professional artist. You
may view my work at www.ellenshire.com. I thought it
would be nice to send you a greeting in fond
remembrance of my early days!” In April 2010 Ellen
opened the Galerie Rolf Rûckert in Paris with a solo
exhibition. •
1961
• Stephanie “Amy Mathieu” Cowell wrote to us in
December: “The year ended wonderfully for both my
latest novels. First, Claude & Camille: A Novel of Monet
came out to some marvelous reviews, has already been
1963
• Zina Bethune is the Founder, Artistic Director and
Choreographer for Bethune TheatreDanse in LA and
Infinite Dreams, Bethune Theatredanse’s dance and
drama outreach program. From their website,
www.bethunetheatredanse.org: “Bethune TheatreDanse
has been a steadfast pioneer in multimedia arts,
seamlessly blending ballet, jazz and modern dance with
art, video, music, and special effects to create a highly
unique, multidimensional theatrical experience.” From
www.bethuneinfinitedreams.org: “Infinite Dreams is an
acclaimed education and performance program providing
children with disabilities an opportunity to affirm their
capabilities by participating in the world of dance and
drama.” •
1966
• Magda Stark Katz shared an update with us: “I am
currently covering cabaret and theater for Times Square
Chronicles (www.t2conline.com) and starting in April will
be doing the same for www.Broadwayafterdark.com” •
1967
• Andrew Bolotowsky writes: "I still play the flute
here and there, but now I am the very senior member of
the group I work with. Santa in a tux! My daughter,
Anastasia is now nine and thank God has more brains
and talent than either of her parents. Life goes up and
down. I hope my classmates are all doing well. They are
a great bunch of people." •
1968
• Suzanne Farrell will receive an honorary doctor of
fine arts degree from Adelphi University at its 115th
Commencement on Friday, May 20, 2011. • Lurie
Horns Pfeffer is the production stage manager for the
Beatles Tribute show RAIN playing at The Brooks
Atkinson Theater in NYC. •
can’t make one of those performances, Kristen will also
be appearing on May 7, 14, 21, 27 and 28.” • In
addition to a busy schedule as a chamber musician and
soloist, David Oei is a faculty member of Summertrios,
Bennington Chamber Music Conference, Hoff-Barthelson
Music School and the Mannes College Of Music. Founding
director of the Salon Chamber Soloists and a founding
member of the Aspen Soloists, Festival Chamber Music
and the Intimate P.D.Q. Bach, he is also currently a
member of the Friends Of Mozart and the Elysium and
Ecliptica Chamber Ensembles. •
1970
• Nancy Davis is the Artistic Director of the Portland
Ballet which she co-founded with her husband, Jim Lane,
in 2001. • Marianna Tcherkassky is the Ballet
Mistress for the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre. •
1972
1969
left to right: Kathleen Cody, Jahn Avarello, Jeanne Tanzy Williams
• Playing the roles of "Bernie Greenberg" and "Milt
Gabler," Barry Pearl is presently in previews for the
Broadway run of Baby It's You!, “the original Broadway
musical inspired by the true story of Florence
Greenberg, a suburban housewife from New Jersey, who
discovered one of the greatest girl groups of all time,
The Shirelles, and created Scepter Records, becoming
the music industry's first female powerhouse.” Opening
night is April 27th, 2011 at the Broadhurst Theatre. • In
1996 Jennifer Starr Holmes founded the company,
Creative Writing Service which helps small businesses
and entrepreneurs with writing commercial copy for
products and services.(www.creativewritingservice.biz)
“I provide social media expertise and Internet
copywriting.” • Daytime Confidential recently reported:
“Ilene Kristen is putting on her wedding best and
returning to My Big Gay Italian Wedding for another
series of dates. You can see Kristen My Big Gay Italian
Wedding at the St. Luke Theatre April 16 and 30. If you
• From Kathleen Cody: “As an original cast member of
the 1970's now cult classic Gothic daytime drama Dark
Shadows, I will be appearing at the 45th Anniversary DS
Festival which will be held this year in New York on the
weekend of August 19th - 21st at the New York Marriott
Hotel in Brooklyn (right at the Brooklyn Bridge). Since
Johnny Depp is currently filming the Movie version of the
original show there is an incredible resurgence in our fan
base…. Last month, Jahn Avarello ’71 and I traveled to
Pennsylvania to meet up with Jeanne Tanzy Williams
– we hadn’t seen each other in 40 years!... Jeanne, one
of the original
founders of the
Backstreet Boys,
is
currently
producing
her
screenplay about
the
band.”
•
Hansford Rowe
is working on a
new
project
called
Moment
featuring
Spanish guitarist
Jordi
Torrens.
“An
American
bassistt/singer from
m NYC living in Montre
eal meets a
Spanis
sh guitarist from
f
Barcelo
ona in Frank
kfurt. Worlds
s
collide and the resu
ult is a kind of
o jazz; a stra
ange blend off
Americ
can and Spa
anish idioms purified into
o an organic
c
mix re
eminiscent of
o Gilberto/Jo
obim. Superr simple and
d
super sophisticate
ed. … But it has all led to this
s
moment... and this record, Lo
ove's Appeall; set for an
n
early 2011
2
release worldwide.” •
19
974
• Arthur Klein’s documentarry film, Y Yo
oga Movie is
s
availab
ble online at www.yyo
ogamovie.com
m. “Y Yoga
a
capturres the philo
osophy, inten
ntion and sp
pirit of Yoga
a
from a charter scho
ool born out of riot torn South
S
Central
Los An
ngeles, to American sold
diers in Iraq as they are
e
taughtt 'Yoga for Re
egular Guys' by world fam
mous wrestlerr
Diamo
ond Dallas Page. Through a com
mbination off
interviews, drama, humor, mus
sic and inspirring imagery,,
Y
Yoga
docum
ments
how
this
ancien
nt
techno
ology is
and
alive
oday in
well to
United
the
States,
spread
ding
and
love
light
resulting in
peace
and
happin
ness
for ma
any. •
19
975
• Step
phanie Chas
se is the Arttistic Directorr of the non-profit organization, The Music of the Sphe
eres Society,,
Inc. which
w
“presen
nts innovativ
ve programs of chamberr
music concerts, le
ectures, and
d educationa
al workshops
s
that illuminate
i
m
music’s
histo
orical, philos
sophical and
d
scientific foundations.” We received a Facebo
ook invite forr
o the season
n which will take
t
place on
n
the third concert of
April 29
2 th: “Please join me and my acclaime
ed colleagues
s
for ‘Ca
afé Music!’ - featuring hu
umorous and
d imaginative
e
music composed be
etween 1917
7 and 1987 by
y Stravinsky,,
Cage, Dahl, Hinde
emith and Schoenfield.
S
Our concertt
takes place at th
he intimate Christ & St. Stephen's
s
Church
h near Linco
oln Center, where musiicologist Eric
c
Wen will give a pre-concertt talk at 7:30
7
pm on
n
‘Disson
nance: The Purveyor
P
of Time’ that is
s included in
n
concerrt admission.” •
19
976
• Jen
nina Shaw Lepard live
es in Lincoln, Nebraska
a
where she works
s as a clin
nical social worker and
d
psycho
oanalyst. She specializes “in life improvement and
d
motiva
ation, couples
s and marital therapy, fam
mily therapy,,
child and adolescent issues and persona
al coaching.””
www.m
mylifeimprove
ement.com •
19
982
• Zippora Karz’’s book, The
Suga
arless Plum
m, is now
available
in
paperback.
Zipp
pora also writtes a regular
column for the Huffington
Post. •
19
983
• Kim
K
Weild is directing
"Kad
ddish (or The
e Key in the
Wind
dow)" a me
emory play
whic
ch will be pe
erformed at
Alan Ginsberg’s apartment
M
20th at a Benefit to
on May
supp
port
The
Adaptations
Proje
ect. “The Adaptations
Proje
ect creates a body of worrk based on unusual sourrce
mate
erial by an ev
ver-growing roster
r
of Asso
ociate Artists
s...
[and
d] adapts ne
ew forms of storytelling to create ne
ew
work
ks for a new
w century.” • In 2007 Holly Huntter
Ston
nehill opened Country Bistro, a popu
ular destination
for locals and
d visitors of the Litchfield Hills:
www
w.thecountryb
bistro.com. •
19
984
• Ju
ulie Tobiason is currently a facultty member at
Paciffic Northwestt Ballet Schoo
ol and co-Artistic Director of
Seatttle Dance Pro
oject. •
19
987
• Jo
onathan Wa
ard is the CEO
C
and fou
under of ICO
ON
(www.icon4x4.co
om) which offers a line of “utility
vehicles of unparalleled refinement, featu
uring a level of
custo
om detail im
mpossible to find in the world of ma
ass
prod
duction.
”Th
he inspiratio
on for ICON came out of
Jona
athan’s passion for the Toyota
T
Land Cruiser (TL
LC)
and being the pre
emier supplie
er of aftermarket parts. T
The
TLC business evo
olved into ICON where he
e manufacturres
a va
ariety of class
sic 4×4 from the ground up. Everything
abou
ut these vehicles is about functionality
y and durability
and yet they are meticulously
y detailed in every
e
aspect.. •
1989
1992
• From David Varga: “I won an Emmy award this fall
for ‘Quick Turn Around Editing’ for the NBC News
Special, Inside The Obama White House. [In the photo
above] I had just received the actual statue at a
luncheon… (I'm in the back row, 2nd from right)…. I also
just finished scoring a short film, Imposter, which is
being submitted to the festivals.” David also wrote the
theme music for the Discovery Series Disappeared and
the Weather Channel series Storm Riders. •
• Congratulations to Cathleen Fischbach-Hribal who
wrote to us with the news: “I got married this summer
and just had a baby girl on November 10th.” • From
Oona Mekas: “I'm very proud to have a great little role
in Miranda July's new film, The Future, [which]
premiered at Sundance this January and in Europe at
the Berlinale in February… In an effort to fuse my
reconnecting with my Lithuanian heritage and my
passion for live theater, this past December I appeared
onstage in Los Angeles in the world premiere of a
Lithuanian play called Balta Drobule, written and
directed by Aleksas Mickus, based on the book by
Antanas Ške.ma. It was a great experience, and plans
are already in the works to take the play to New York
and on to Vilnius!… I'm writing my first feature
screenplay, and I plan on directing two short films in the
Spring. Shooting is scheduled for February for a short
film by Peter Sasowsky, where I star as an artist getting
evicted from her home. Many more projects in the
works, more on those in my next update!” •
1990
1995
• Erika Katz is the author
of a new book, Bonding
Over Beauty, a “down-toearth guide for moms of
tweens
[which]
offers
practical
advice
for
building
self-esteem,
confidence,
and
trust.”
Erika
has
received
wonderful reviews and has
embarked on a press tour
with local and national
media. On March 25th she
appeared on the Today
Show and on May 5th she’ll be appearing on The Doctors.
Visit www.bondingoverbeauty.com to follow Erika’s blog.
• Miranda Cuckson recently celebrated the release of
two new CDs: the wreckage of flowers, devoted to music
by Michael Hersch (on Vanguard) and More Music by
Ralph Shapey, the second and final volume in her
traversal of Shapey’s violin music (on Centaur). On
March 29th, Miranda performed Walter Piston's Violin
Concerto No. 1 with the American Symphony Orchestra
and Leon Botstein at Carnegie Hall. •
1991
• Jerry O’Connell currently stars in the CBS legal
drama The Defenders. You can also see Jerry on the
popular
comedy
website
Funnyordie.com
(www.funnyordie.com/jerryoconnell).
In his most
recent parody, he morphes into Charlie Sheen while
additioning for the role of Charlie Harper on the sitcom
Two and a Half Men. • On April 16th Robin Appel
hosted a charity event at her yoga studio, Always-AtAum, to support children affected by the earthquake and
tsunami in Japan. The Yoga Mala began “with a peace
prayer sent to all four corners of the world followed by
the completion of 108 Sun Salutations or seated
meditation.” •
• Chris Hill sent us an update: “I've been working as
an editor in Hollywood since 2003. I spent the last two
summers editing CBS’ Big Brother. I also edited a show
called You're Cut Off! which is currently airing on VH1 on
Monday nights. Right now I'm editing my 9th indie
feature film, a lesbian rock musical from the producers
of The L Word, called Girl Trash:All Night Long, due out
in festivals worldwide this year. A commercial release
date is pending.” • Mai'a Davis Cross is an Assistant
Professor of International Relations at the University of
Southern California. Her research focuses on issues of
European security, diplomacy, and public diplomacy,
especially in the context of the EU. Her most recent
book, Security Integration in Europe: How Knowledgebased Networks are Transforming the European Union
(University of Michigan Press, forthcoming 2011),
examines how epistemic communities of diplomats,
military officials, scientists, and crisis management
experts in Europe promote EU security integration. •
1998
• Lane Harwell ‘98, Dance/NYC’s Executive Director,
recently announced that on May 16th at the Playhouse
Theater’s Abrons Arts Center, Jared Angle ’99,
Jennifer Ringer ’90 and Melissa Gerson ’88 will
participate in a forum presented by Dance/USA
Taskforce on Dancer Health to discuss and promote
dancer wellness.
“Join us in responding to the
Taskforce's recent call to action to achieve the dancer
aesthetic in a manner that promotes overall good health
and protects the artist and performer.”
Visit
www.dancersbodies.eventbrite.com for event details. •
From Paul Ellington: “I am pursuing a masters degree
at NYU/Tisch for film graduating 2013.” • We were
delighted find Stephen Hanna featured in The New
York Times wedding section. He married Bret Shuford in
Greenwich Town Hall in Greenwich, Conn. on April 18. •
2000
• More wedding news: Congratulations to Christina
Hall Lovely (above): “Peter Lovely and I were married
in September at Memorial Church on the campus of
Stanford University. We met while at Stanford. I
graduated with my bachelor's degree in physics in 2008
and Peter finished his doctorate in geology this winter.
We honeymooned in Hawaii in January where my
husband encouraged me to prove myself as a ballerina
turned backpacker on my first ever backpacking trip!
Three days on the Na'Pali coast was a rewarding
experience. We recently relocated to Houston, TX. We
miss San Francisco and the Bay Area, but are enjoying
the warm weather and the welcoming town of Houston.
• Last month Carrie Lee Riggins (below) performed in
and chaired a fundraising event for Luminario Ballet of
Los Angeles. •
1999
• Yaniv Segal is a conductor and co-founder of the
Chelsea Symphony, an orchestra “offering innovative
interpretations with cutting-edge repertoire that
challenges and expands the traditional structure and
behavior of the classical ensemble. The ensemble
seamlessly blends the qualities of youthful energy,
exuberance,
solid
professionalism
and
expert
musicianship.”
Along with a regular concert series
presented at St Paul's Church in Manhattan's Chelsea
neighborhood, the orchestra has given special
performances at the United Nations, in Central Park, at
New York's Barge Music series. The New York Times
praised Yaniv’s interpretation of Mahler's Fourth
Symphony
as
an
"earnest,
vibrant
account."
www.chelseasymphony.org •
• Brett Tabisel manages
and is musical director of
(Le) Poisson Rouge, a
multimedia art cabaret
founded
by
David
Handler ’98 on the site
of the NYC’s historic
Village Gate. The venue
is home to myriad genres
focusing on classical, new music, indie rock, and jazz,
but also playing host to readings, comedy, film, DJs,
parties, theater and burlesque. “Dedicated to the fusion
of popular and art cultures in music, film, theater,
dance, and fine art, the venue’s mission is to revive the
symbiotic relationship between art and revelry; to
establish a creative asylum for both artists and
audiences.” The Los Angeles Times wrote: “The place
isn’t merely cool, as The New York Times has dubbed it,
the
venue
is
a
downright
musical
marvel.”
www.lepoissonrouge.com •
2001
• Kevin Aubin posted on our Facebook wall: "Hey just
an FYI, there are two people from PCS in Spiderman on
Broadway: T.V. Carpio ‘99 and me! Was awesome to
find out onstage." •
2003
• Sokvannara (Sy) Sar has joined the Carolina Ballet
for the rest of this season and next season. • In addition
to being one of dancers featured in the Academy Award
nominated film Black Swan, Lauren Fadeley got
engaged to fellow Pennsylvania Ballet company member
Francis Veyette last summer. This spring she performed
the leading role of Odette/Odile in Christopher
Wheeldon’s Swan Lake. • From Elysia Lichtine: “After
departing from the Pennsylvania Ballet in 2007 I went
on to pursue a degree in Communications at the
University of Pennsylvania. I graduated in May with a
B.A. in Communications and currently still reside in
Philadelphia working as the Communications Coordinator
for
the
Destination
Maternity
Corporation
Corporate Headquarters.”
• Earlier this year, Kate
Luckinbill
(right)
performed in her debut
cabaret show (five soldout
performances),
Katherine
Luckinbill:
LOVE (or lack thereof), at
Don't Tell Mama’s. “With
Katharine
Luckinbill's
story told through the
lens of past romances,
she weaves song through
personal stories creating
a
captivating
performance.” •
2004
• Alixandra Jawin sent us an update: “I am currently
finishing my MPhil dissertation titled ‘The Role of Women
in Plato's Ideal Society’ at the University of St. Andrews.
In September I will begin my PhD in Philosophy at U.
Mass Amherst focusing on Ancient Greek Philosophy and
Feminist Thought. • A.J. Shively made his Broadway
debut in La Cage aux Folles as Jean-Michel. The Tony
Award-winning revival will play its final performance at
the Longacre Theatre May 1st. • Leighton Meester
appeared in the 2010 country drama film Country
Strong and the 2011 thriller The Roommate. As of
2011, she is set to appear in two other big screen
movies: Monte Carlo and The Oranges. •
2005
• Arika Yamada appeared on the cover of City Center's
Fall for Dance advertisement in September 2010. She is
now choreographing for an Opera composed by Su Lian
Tan commissioned by Middlebury College. It will
premiere at Middlebury in September 2011. Arika joined
Gallim Dance in 2009, a New York City based Dance
Company that “includes an award-winning ensemble of
dancers hailed for their quick wit, morphing physical
quality, and technical virtuosity.”
www.gallimdance.com •
2006
•
Visit
Will
Brant’s
website, www.willbrant.com
to download his new album,
Palimpsests II (cover right).
“[A]ll these pieces were
improvised using a digital
looping pedal. Some tracks
have a similar flowing,
droning
quality
that
characterized
the
first
release, but other tracks are more dynamic, in a way,
they more accurately expressing the idea of a
palimpsest… Cover photo (above) taken in Hillsboro,
Florida, December 2009.” Will also plays in the rock
bands Duchampion (www.duchampion.bandcamp.com)
and The Shade (www.theshade.info). •
2007
• Congratulations to Andrew Daly who was promoted
to Pennsylvania Ballet’s Corps 2009. • Nina Bennett is
a first-year student at École hôtelière de Lausanne
(EHL). Founded in Switzerland in 1893, ÉHL provides
university-level studies leading to a bachelor of science
degree to students seeking careers in the hospitality
industry or in corporate management. Currently, Nina is
fulfilling a required internship at The Carlyle Hotel in
New York. Previously, she was a Swiss International Air
Lines ticket agent at Zürich Airport." • Courtney
Merritt stars in Working Class which premiered January
28th on CMT as Pam, the teen-age daughter of Carli
Mitchell (Melissa Peterman). Courtney has appeared in
ABC's The Forgotten and had starring roles in several
indie films and a lead role in a soon-to-be released MTV
network web series. • Erin Arbuckle, is the Assistant
Executive Director of Columbia Ballet Collaborative
(CBC). From The Columbia Spectator, April 6, 2011:
“CBC gracefully straddles the gap between campus art
and the professional world. It was founded in 2007 by
five former professional dancers and has since expanded
to include students from all four undergraduate colleges
and several Columbia graduate schools.” • We are
grateful to Barrett Doss who will be performing at the
2011 PCS Spring Benefit Cabaret on May 4th. Barret
recently graduated of
the Gallatin School of
Individualized Study at NYU. •
Young Alumni Reunion
January 4, 2011
2008
• Rachel Jambois, Amy Holihan, and Elizabeth
Mateer, Sarah Hochman ’07 and Ryoko Sadoshima
’07 are all members of Pennsylvania Ballet II’s troupe.
“Established in 2002 through the generosity of Joyce
and Herbert Kean, Pennsylvania Ballet II is an eightmember troupe of pre-professional dancers led by
former Principal Dancer, William DeGregory.” • This is
Raina Gilliland’s second season as a member of
Minnesota Dance Theatre’s company. •
2009
• Caroline Jones generously agreed to be one of our
alumni performers at the Spring Benefit Cabaret on May
4th • From Cecilia Iliesiu: “I am finishing my second
season with the Carolina Ballet in Raleigh, NC. We have
been performing various programs choreographed by
Robert Weiss (our director), Lynne Taylor-Corbett (our
resident choreographer), and August Bournonville. I was
cigarette girl in our production of Carmen and I had to
smoke a real cigar on stage!!
That was quite a
challenge since I had never before smoked and I had to
make it look like I do it every day! Next, the company is
performing Balanchine's A Midsummer Night's Dream
which I will be dancing the part of Hippolyta. In August,
I will be participating in the inaugural Boston Ballet's
Choreographic Intensive.” • We’re grateful to Weixiong
Wang who, despite a very hectic schedule, performed
for his alma matter at the PCS Musicale in December
and will be performing again for PCS at the Spring
Benefit Cabaret on May
4th. Weixiong won first
prize
at
the
2010
AudiMozart
International Woodwind
Competition in Italy,
where
he
was
the
youngest winner that
year, and the first ever
Asian winner. In June,
Weixiong was invited to
solo with the Italian
Haydn's Orchestra in
Bolzano, Italy. A few
months later Weixiong
was invited by the
World
Mozart
Association to tour as a
soloist
with
the
Salzburg
Youth
Orchestra across Italy,
including concerts in Venice, Trento, Rovereto and
Torino. Recently, Weixiong took the top prize at the
Crescendo Music Award Competition in Tulsa, OK.
www.weisoundproduction.com/clarinet •
2010
• Congratulations to Olivia Lipnick who was recently
offered a contact with the Boston Ballet. • On April 6th,
Luiko Yoshimoto performed at Mannes in a beneift
concert to support the earthquake and tsunami victims
in Japan. Current PCS students Shu Kinouchi (Gr. 12),
Maiko Kitakoa (Gr. 11) and Kaho Ogawa (Gr. 9) recently
performed at Dance for Japan, another benefit for Japan
relief, on Saturday, April 16th at Mark Morris Dance
Center in Brooklyn. • Kristie Ahn was featured in the
article, “W. Tennis: Fab Four Freshman on the Farm”
which appeared in the Febuary 2, 2010 edition of The
Stanford Daily, Stanford University’s school newspaper.
In the article, she mentioned her alma mater: “Ahn
graduated from the Professional Children’s School in
Manhattan, N.Y., last June, but she… had an unusual
high school experience. ’I spent seven out of my last 10
months of school in California, while still attending PCS,’
she said using air quotes. ‘The school was incredibly
supportive of me.’ Ahn is expected to play in one of the
top-four singles positions this season.” • Just a few
months after joining the crew team, Molly Kallins
(center below) now occupies the stroke seat, the most
'prestigious' position in a boat because this rower sets
the pace for the boat and is responsible for the stroke
(per minute) rate. “My novice boat placed 3rd at states
this past weekend, and we're off to Tennessee for
regional’s this weekend…” The photo below was taken
after Molly (in the green socks) and her team won a
home race a few weeks ago.
Faculty News
• Congratulations to Dr. Mark Savage who was
recently awarded a doctorate in History from Columbia
University. • English teacher James Reilly is the
recipient of one of only 25 spots to attend this year's
NEH/Columbia University Institute on Shakespeare this
summer. • Senior English teacher Shellie Sclan will be
presenting a paper at the 2011 International Cather
Seminar at Smith College in Northampton, MA in June.
This year's conference is titled, "Willa Cather and the
19th Century." Ms. Sclan's paper looks at novelist
George Eliot's influence on Cather's work. • Social
Studies teacher Erika Petersen received a National
Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) grant to attend
the 2011 Landmarks of American History and Culture
Workshop,
"James
Madison
and
Constitutional
Citizenship." The workshop will take place at Madison's
plantation, Montpelier, in Virginia this summer. Last
Summer Ms Petersen was the recipient of the PCS
Faculty Travel Grant. On the following page she
describes her trip to Oaxaca, Mexico.
Time Travel to Oaxaca
As the plane descended for the first landing of our
journey, it circled the immense spread of Mexico City.
The landscape was startling: rising abruptly from
flatlands, there were unexpected mountain peaks
clothed in green. The flat plains were filled with
seemingly endless blocks of houses, with red and
orange, turquoise and white colors splashed all around.
Gazing down I could imagine it was the Aztec city of
Tenochtitlan; there were the same mountains and the
plains and these same colors. The trip back in time had
begun.
The soaring white port-holed Mexican airport
seemed in flight and, it almost felt as though we never
left the ground to change planes. It had been raining,
but as we flew toward Oaxaca City, the clouds lifted and
the high, elevated plain of the whole Oaxaca Valley was
laid out below us. There were mountains on all sides,
creating an isolated basin of green with narrow brown
roads running cross the valley floor. The Zapotecs had
chosen the top of one of those mountains for their great
city, Monte Albán.
We had rented an apartment that sat on top of a
steep hill, on a street called Panoramica del Fortín. From
our terrace we overlooked the city and then, beyond,
lush hills, and on the crest of one, we could just see the
tops of stone buildings; those were part of the ruins I
had come to see.
On our first day, we explored the central downtown
area (protected as a historic district).
The next day we visited the Rufino Tamayo
Museo de Arte Prehispánico de México. The small
museum, wrapped around an open court and garden,
was almost deserted. Hours passed as we moved from
one color drenched room
to the next, slipping
further back in time,
surrounded by silence
and eloquent artifacts.
And then finally, after all
those years of wondering
about the flattened heads
of the Maya, here it was.
This is how they did it.
The next day, we headed up the mountain to Monte
Alban. There the time travel speeded up. So open are
the ruins (so uncluttered by warnings, instructions on
where to look or how to feel, lacking in fences and bars
and restraints) that one can have a direct experience
with the past. I simply walked up and stood and there it
was: the ball court, the famed and mysterious juego de
pelota.
I read the descriptions eagerly – all plaques were
written in Spanish and English and Zapotec, and then
turning away from the court, just as a spectator living at
that time might have done, I looked out over the ridges
of mountains and flat plains of the valley. We climbed
the staircase at one end of the site and looked down on
the Gran Plaza, a high plateau floating in the clouds.
We went to other ruins, an extravaganza of sites
and experiences. We went to Yagul and were alone at
the ruins, with a view of the Tlacolula Valley and a ten
thousand foot peak to the west.
At Yagul, I stood right in the ball court. And in this
ball court, unlike that at Monte Albán, there is a stone at
the center. It was explained to us that even today, men
in Mexico play a game that may be something like the
one the Zapotecs played, starting the game by smashing
the ball off a stone.
We had plenty of interesting experiences as we
made our way across the valley in search of the past, on
our way to Mitla, chief among them visiting a Mescal
factory and learning how the traditional drink is made.
In Mitla, we saw the “grecas,” the unique stonework
that characterizes the ruins at Mital. They are made
from thousands of cut, polished stones that are fitted
together without mortar. At Dainzu, another ball court
awaited us.
And after all the civilizations have come and gone,
the land remains.
We went to see the 2000-year-old “Tula” tree. I
stood next to it and gazed up: this tree was not even a
sapling when the Zapotec architects were leveling the
top of the mountain they knew as Danipaguache, the
Sacred Mountain of Life, to build their city in the sky.
Time Travel, indeed!
Thank you PCS! - Erika Petersen
Photography: Eric Rosenthal