It was time to celebrate the rite of passage for several Chautauqua Regional Youth Ballet students and for their longtime teacher/mentor, Monika Alch, CRYB's artistic director. At an impromptu late afternoon picnic at the Alch home, the group shared wings, pizza, memories and dreams.
All the students, new enrollees at colleges and other institutions, are pursuing professional ballet careers. All agreed they would miss ''Miss Monika,'' described by students as a ''tough taskmaster'' and ''a mentor who cares and who is always there to challenge and to encourage.''
Jordan Leeper, who will continue ballet training at the San Francisco Ballet, came up with his own succinct thoughts on Alch: ''For her, the most important thing is that we become the very best dancers we can be. She doesn't settle for anything less.''
Leeper was 11 years old when he was talked into taking ballet classes.
''A friend of mine thought ballet training would give him an edge in getting into school sports,'' Leeper said. ''He didn't want to take lessons alone, so I finally went along with him.
''Funny thing was, he quit and I stayed with the program. ... By that time, I was hooked. It's been that way ever since.''
Leeper, 17, was awarded a scholarship in 2007 to attend the Chautauqua Institution Festival Ballet Program. He also has attended the New York State Summer School of the Arts program at Saratoga Springs.
This year, he received a scholarship to attend the San Francisco Summer Ballet Program. At the end of the season, the dancer was invited to return to the distinguished San Francisco Ballet for year-round training and classes.
''It's the most exciting opportunity I could ever imagine,'' he said. ''To be a part of the San Francisco Ballet training program has been my dream for a long time. ... Now it's finally going to happen.''
Others at the outing included Brittany Bush, 18, who enrolled at CRYB when she was six. She attends the Conservatory of Dance at Purchase College. Brittany participated in the Boston Ballet program through NYSSSA during two summer seasons.
''I'll be dancing more than ever in college,'' she said.
''In a way, all of us who are just starting (college) will have to begin all over again. As pre-professional students at CRYB, we had the leading rolls. Now, we'll have to develop more skills and prove our ability before we reach that point, again.
''But, I'm ready to do that. ... I'm especially excited about modern dance - positions like pas de deux - for dancing with partners.''
Gina Smeragliuolo, 18, attends the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre School. She has attended the summer program at Neglia Ballet at Buffalo. Morgan Ostroski, 19, majoring in dance performance, is a four-year scholarship student at Mercyhurst, where she is a sophomore this year, and Molly Marsh, who also has taught classes at CRYB, is attending the University of Hartford's Dance Department.
''We have shared a number of years, many classes and performances,'' Alch said. ''I am so proud of them. They have worked hard, and now they are involved in prestigious and challenging dance programs. It's a great accomplishment for our small ballet program.''
As the group moves on, Alch said, others in advanced and pre-professional levels, such as Amy Weidert, Kym Paterniti and Brittney Pearson, will take their places. This fall/winter season marks CRYB's 12th year anniversary, while Alch is observing her 10th year at the school. She will head the 10th annual holiday production of The Nutcracker, scheduled Dec. 13-14 at the Reg Lenna Civic Center.
Her ballet career dates back to the late 1940s, when she began training at the age of 4 at Austria's Vienna Conservatory.
''I never wanted to do anything else but dance,'' she said. ''My father wanted me to become a secretary, a profession he thought was far more practical. But, I wouldn't give in.''
By 1960, the young dancer was studying under renowned ballet teachers such as Rossella Hightower, Antoine Dolin, and Alicia Markova. Over the next decade, she would dance in a number of European opera theaters. Later, she performed for five years in the United States with the Ballet Metropolitan. She also has choreographed a number of ballet productions.
''I was so lucky to have such teachers,'' Alch said. ''CRYB would not be what it is, without its talented and dedicated staff. I work very closely with our administrative director, Elizabeth Bush, who keeps us all - students and staff - on our toes,'' she said laughing.
CRYB's two instructors include Jennifer Corcoran-Vigue and Elizabeth Schmitz. Corcoran-Vigue, a dance/education major at Smith College, completed a masters program in arts administration at Boston University. She has performed with the Boston Dance Co., and she is a former instructor at Boston's Topf Center for Dance Education. The CRYB instructor teaches the pre-ballet division and intermediate level classes.
Elizabeth Schmitz is a graduate of the National Ballet School teacher-training program at Toronto. She also has taught classical ballet for ten years at Canada's George Brown College School of Dance and at York University. At CRYB, she teaches beginning classes through early intermediate ballet.
Teresa Ford is a pilates and yoga instructor. She is a NETA (National Exercise Training Association) certified instructor of yoga, pilates, stability ball, practical skills, and group exercise, and a previous IFA (International Fitness Association) fitness and kickboxing instructor.
Daniel Ulbricht and Jonathan Stafford, both principal dancers at the New York City Ballet, and Leonard Holmes, a veteran New York City ballet instructor, were teachers at this summer's CRYB's ''Three-Week Intensive'' workshop. This summer's program marked Ulbricht's third consecutive year at CRYB.
The young dancer - whose photo is featured on the cover of a recent issue of Dance Magazine, a national publication - is heralded as the New York City Ballet dancer with ''star power.'' Still another summer instructor, Dara Swisher, an alumna of Mercyhurst, taught modern ballet.
Over the past decade, the most significant change in the CRYB program deals with repertoire, Alch said. Moving away from recitals, the artistic director has developed a repertoire based on performances of excerpts from a number of ballets, including ''Esmeralda,'' ''Carmen,'' ''LaCorsare,'' and ''Swan Lake.''
Performances featuring advanced and pre-professional students have been staged for the past two summers at the Chautauqua Institution, said Alch, noting students have been invited to return during the summer of 2009.
Over the past 10 years, there have been a number of changes and achievements, Alch said.
''But, the most rewarding part of it all comes from watching students as they develop dancing skills, from sharing their passion for ballet, and their excitement when their talent and training are recognized, and they are accepted at outstanding schools.
''Then, we know we've done our work, well.''
Additional information on the Chautauqua Regional Youth Ballet - located at 9-1/2 Falconer St., Jamestown - is available at 664-9766 and at http://www.cryb.net/school.html
