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The Chautauqua Regional Youth Ballet is proud to announce that six of its advanced level students have been accepted into prestigious intensive ballet programs for the summer. The students are Lillian Jache, Cecelia Johnson, Emilee Shafer, Megan Stefanik, Maya Swanson and Cate Walter.

Cate Walter and Maya Swanson will both be attending the School of American Ballet (SAB) in New York City. SAB auditioned over 20,00 dancers across the country and accepted approximately 200

“We are thrilled that two of our students were accepted into this highly competitive program,” said Monika Alch, CRYB artistic director.

SAB, located at New York City’s Lincoln Center, is the premier ballet academy in the United States, training more students who go on to become professional dancers than any other school. SAB’s former students fill the ranks of the New York City Ballet and other leading U.S. and international ballet companies.

The school’s alumni roster is a “who’s who” of 20th-century American classical ballet, filled with names such as Suzanne Farrell, Arthur Mitchell, Maria Tallchief and Darci Kistler; as well as Broadway legends Chita Rivera and Hinton Battle. Located on the Upper West Side at Lincoln Center, the school has a self-contained campus featuring five spacious studios, residence hall, student cafe, physical therapy room, lounges and library all under one roof with 24-hour security.

Cate Walter is 14 and attends Maple Grove Jr.-Sr. High School in Bemus Point. She is the daughter of Carla and Dr. Peter Walter. This will be Cate’s third summer at SAB.

“I had a great time last year and am very excited to return,” she said. “I was in class with many great dancers from all over the country and felt so lucky to be there. CRYB prepared me well.”

Maya Swanson is 13, attends Eisenhower Middle School and is the daughter of Matt and Tanya Swanson. This will be her second summer at SAB.

“I am so excited to have the opportunity to dance again in NYC,” Maya said. “I am thankful for the training I have received at CRYB that has prepared me to dance at SAB.”

Cecelia Johnson will be attending the Chautauqua Institution Ballet Workshop. The ballet curriculum at Chautauqua is designed for talented students who wish to pursue careers as professional ballet dancers. Classes in character, hip hop and partnering round out the curriculum.

Cecelia is 12 and will be in seventh grade at Washington Middle School this fall. She is the daughter of Bryce and Beth Johnson.

Megan Stefanik was accepted into the American Academy of Ballet Summer School of Excellence at Purchase College. She is attending attending the two-week session from July 16-29. The curriculum includes: classical ballet, pas de deux, pointe, neo-classical, contemporary, jazz, Spanish dance and folk dance.

Megan, 16, will be a senior this fall at Pine Valley Central School and is the daughter of Lynn and Ryan Stefanik.

“I am very excited to learn new dance techniques from the instructors that are brought in from all over the world,” Megan said. “I’m so happy that I have the opportunity to attend this school and meet new people with my same interests.”

Lillian Jache was accepted into the Joffrey NYC Ballet Intensive. With an accredited dance program that offers two core pieces of study — ballet and jazz/contemporary — Joffrey is known for its diverse curriculum, as well as being the largest summer intensive training program in the country.

Lillian, 13, attends Beaty-Warren Middle School in Warren, Pa., and is the daughter of Keith and Katherine Jache.

“I am so excited to go to my first summer dance intensive,” she said. “I am very glad that the teachers at CRYB are supportive and encourage us to develop our skills through the summer.”

Emilee Shafer will attend the five-week summer intensive at Neglia Conservatory of Ballet in Buffalo. Classes are offered in ballet, pointe, men’s class, contemporary, partnering, repertoire and pilates. Students dance 4-6 hours per day. Also offered are seminars on dance related topics such as nutrition, injury prevention, stage make-up and dance history.

Emilee, 14, is a freshman at Warren Area High School and resides with her grandmother Sally Poorman.

“I’m excited to learn new things and improve on what I have already learned at CRYB,” she said.

Upon their return, the girls will also attend the two-week intensive at CRYB Aug. 15-26. CRYB’s two-week intensive will have classes in ballet, pointe, partnering, character and modern.

Guest faculty includes: Ivaylo Alexiev, balletmaster at Festival Ballet in Rhode Island; Brittany Bush, dancer with Jose Mateo Ballet Theatre in Boston; and Michael Cerwinski, director of his own modern dance company, MichaelJamesNewYork.

A few spots in CRYB’s two-week intensive still remain. For information and registration materials visit CRYB’s website at cryb.net or call 664-9766.