New dance conservatoire lays stress on classical ballet

Malta's first dance conservatoire has just been launched, giving youngsters the ticket to tread the boards to a future in classical ballet.

Johane Casabene, a popular name on the local dance scene, has been working on the creation of the dance conservatoire over the last few years with the final goal of providing vocational training alongside academic education.

"Our goal is to nurture and promote the art of dance," Ms Casabene said in an interview.

Malta is now close to reaching a history of 100 years in dance, which is practically half the amount of years that classical ballet in its form has existed in other countries.

In Malta, the more modern and commercial forms of dance have become more popular and most parents send their daughters to some form of ballet, jazz, tap, hip hop or Latin American lessons.

However, Ms Casabene felt the importance and necessity of the classical ballet technique as the basis to all other dance forms could not be denied.

"Malta has now really reached a point when a revolution has to be made to improve the standards of this art form. There is a great interest for the arts in general on our little island but so far there is no establishment that can offer professional full-time training for our talented students," she pointed out. She explained that the idea behind the school was to provide intensive training to a small number of students who had the potential of going places and forging a professional career.

Ms Casabene is one of the lucky few who had the opportunity of training abroad and she is the only Maltese to hold an MA in dance and related subjects, which she obtained after following a three-year university course in Italy.

Today, she is a licentiate and tutor of the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing (ISTD), a highly reputable international dance organisation based in London.

Starting September, when it welcomes the first students, the dance conservatoire will offer a similar opportunity to young people here who may not have the financial backing to study abroad.

The most reputable local teachers will be on the teaching faculty and other highly-qualified foreign teachers will be visiting the conservatoire regularly to share their expertise.

Teachers from the Royal Danish Ballet School, the English Royal Ballet School, London's Central School of Ballet and others from England, Italy, France and Russia have already confirmed visits to Malta.

This will offer students the possibility of having top teachers, ensuring a thorough coverage of the entire spectrum of the art and all the various teaching methods and techniques embraced within it, Ms Casabene said.

The students within the conservatoire will also study theoretical subjects such as history of ballet, music and dance repertoire, intended to enhance their knowledge on dance.

Older students will be able to sit for Assessment Qualification Alliance examinations in dance and train for the Foundation of Dance instruction and Certificate in Dance Education with the ISTD.

Specific requirements for each level have been established by the EU Commission so that the levels within all the countries in the EU are of an equal standard. The diploma from the conservatoire will fall within this framework and, in turn, be recognised by the Education Department here and abroad.

Students aged nine to 12 will get six hours a week, those aged 13-15 will get 12 hours and those aged 16-18 will get 20 hours.

Students who audition successfully - 15 a year will be accepted - will benefit from subsidised fees. However, Ms Casabene is hoping to be able to find sponsors to cover the running costs of the institution, allowing her to keep fees as low and as reasonable as possible.

For more information call 2131 3690/1, 9942 7933 or send an e-mail to casabene@maltanet.net.