The Shenandoah Academy of Dance performs two full-length ballets each year. Past accomplishments include an original ballet, Four Seasons (spring 2009), Cinderella (Spring 2010), The Nutcracker (Winter, 2010) and The Sleeping Beauty (spring 2011).
2010 marked a huge accomplishment for the studio. Cinderella and The Nutcracker marked the community's first full-length, home-produced productions of these two classics. The studio's success with these two ballets prompted the pursuit of annual productions of the holiday classic Nutcracker featuring dancers from the academy as well as other auditioned dancers from the surrounding community.
In October of 2010, the ensemble was invited to perform with the studios in Southwest Virginia in "Dance Festival 2010". The Festival was hosted by Southwest Virginia Ballet under the artistic directorship of Mr. Pedro Szalay and celebrated the 85th anniversary of the Blue Ridge Parkway.
For the event, the ensemble took five advanced dancers from the academy to dance a four movement suite of dances entitled Negative Space choreographed by director, Missy Floyd. The suite, pictured below, was set to the music of J.S. Bach as performed by Yo-Yo Ma.
Amelia Sunnen and Jonah Sunnen dance the Arabian pas de deux from The Nutcracker in December 2010
Kathryn Bouchelle and Jonah Sunnen final pose from the wedding pas de deux from The Sleeping Beauty in May 2011.
Meredith McAllister as the Sugar Plum Fairy and Jonah Sunnen as the Cavalier along with the cast of The Nutcracker wave goodbye to Clara (not pictured).
Left to right: Carrie VanOsten, Amelia Sunnen, Meredith McAllister and Jonah Sunnen (center) performed Negative Space at A Festival of Dance sponsored by Southwest Virginia Ballet in Roanoke in October 2010. (Not pictured: Kathryn Bouchelle)
The "Garland Waltz" performed by intermediate dancers at the Academy with principal dancer, Amelia Sunnen as the Lilac Fairy. The Garland Waltz is one of the most notable pieces of choreography in Act I of The Sleeping Beauty performed as a full-length ballet by the Academy in the spring of 2011.
