Philadelphia Ballet and Big Red Dance: A New Partnership

On Thursday, April 27, the Philadelphia Ballet performed at the Kirby Arts Center (KAC) during School Meeting. Lyrical, Contemporary, and Jazz Dance Instructor Kristin Devine-Jones ’10 described the performance as “a feast for the eyes and a treat for the heart.” She feels “grateful” for the partnership between Philadelphia Ballet and Big Red Dance. 

 Lawrenceville first reached out to the Philadelphia Ballet when Director of Dance Derrick Wilder and Carolyn C. Newsom GP’23, Attorney for the Philadelphia Ballet Board of Trustees, arranged a masterclass for student dancers during the 2021-22 school year. Newsom invited several Lawrentians to the company’s rendition of “The Nutcracker” as well. Corinne Johnson ’23, one of the attendees, felt “amazed” after watching the performance. 

 Seeing the Philadelphia Ballet dancers on the KAC stage “felt…surreal,” Johnson said: “I have danced on that same stage, and they really are such great people to look up to.” Devine-Jones also recalled being “inspired [by] the blood, sweat, and tears” of the dancers while watching their “ physical feats and artistic mastery.”

 The day before their KAC performance, two students and an instructor from the Philadelphia Ballet visited the School for a joint class with Lawrenceville dancers in the dance co-curricular. “They beautifully performed minute and strenuous movements that one could quickly tire of,” Devine-Jones said. She also felt proud of the Lawrentians who “[rose] to the occasion…and [dedicated] their full selves to doing their absolute best” in the class. 

Johnson described the class as “nerve wracking but fun.” She explained that it was a refreshing opportunity different from typical ballet classes at Lawrenceville: “The guest teacher…had a lot of constructive criticism for us…We don't normally have eyes on us while we're dancing.” In the future, Johnson hopes that more classes like these can take place. 

Devine-Jones’s goal is for this partnership to simply “bring joy to the students and faculty.” In fact, bringing happiness to Lawrentians through dance is what motivated her to join Lawrenceville’s performing arts program, first as a student, and later as a teacher. “My story parallels that of many teachers at Philadelphia Ballet, who want to share their passion for a vocation with tenacity and dedication,” she explained. Devine-Jones also praised “Lawrenceville’s unbelievable resources that allow us to connect meaningfully with [the] community and our chosen passions.” She hopes that working with Philadelphia Ballet will provide Lawrenceville dancers with “an edge, experience, and exposure to professional dance” in a way unparalleled by most other schools.