Workshop Evaluations 2011 – 2014
JULIA MAYO
BFA in Dance/Juilliard School, MFA in Dance Performance/New York University:
Tisch School for the Arts
Julia Mayo is from Louisiana and performed there with the Baton Rouge Ballet Theater. Continued dance studies in New York at Juilliard and New York University, thereby acquiring her BFA and M FA degrees.
Has performed nationally and internationally with various companies, was a faculty member at the Atlanta Ballet Centre for Dance Education and is now a guest teacher at Emory University, New York University and throughout the southeast.
"In the spring of 2012 I had the great fortune to attend Judith Reyn's workshop entitled Essentials of Ballet as a graduate student at New York University. As a professional dancer and teacher, I found her anatomical approach to ballet technique extremely intelligent and well researched. The philosophy that Ms. Reyn stresses is teaching ballet technique by approaching it from the instrument.
This philosophy is one that I personally agree with and appreciate how it allows the students to be seen as individuals and trained according to their anatomical structure. Her vast knowledge of the human body is presented clearly and accurately with a thorough visual presentation, movement demonstrations and class participation to assist students in the absorption of the information.
I have studied the human body in relation to dance in both my undergraduate and graduate schooling with functional anatomist Irene Dowd, and I believe that Ms. Reyn's Essentials of Ballet workshop was of the same caliber as this instruction. She was very articulate in describing the kinesthetic movements of the body when performing ballet steps and poses, as well as the specific muscle groups needed to support these actions. I particularly enjoyed her thorough explanation of the growth and development of bones, muscles, ligaments and tendons.
She accompanied this information with specific aspects of the technique that would be most appropriate for these stages of growth in order to prevent injury and encourage proper muscle development. I greatly appreciated that Ms. Reyn did not only teach in a lecture format, but also presented the material through class participation and demonstrations. I was able to feel how to properly execute a movement muscularly which gave me a more thorough knowledge of the action.
The anatomical elements of the workshop were balanced by Ms. Reyn's artistry. I have great respect for her and how she was able to present the dancer's instrument so clearly while still keeping in mind that dance is an art form. Her examples of appropriate imagery for teaching allow the technique to still be approached in a creative and expressive way.
After attending Ms. Reyn's workshop I have an increased understanding of the body and how to effectively teach each of my students as individuals based on their physical strengths and weaknesses. I have already begun incorporating this knowledge into my class and syllabus planning. I would recommend Essentials of Ballet to any dancer or teacher regardless of the specific technique they study or teach, because the information in pertaining to the human body and movement is invaluable."