Philadelphia Ballet II Kicks Off Weekend of Dance at Lawrenceville

Lawrenceville’s advanced dance students enjoyed the rare opportunity to take a master class – on campus – with Fernanda Oliveira, a member of the Philadelphia Ballet Corps de Ballet. The workshop kicked off a weekend of celebrating dance at Lawrenceville, with an all-School performance and talk by members of Philadelphia Ballet II on Thursday, then the School’s annual Spring Dance Series on Friday and Saturday, showcasing Lawrenceville student dance troupes.

Speaking about the master class, Oliveira said she found working with Lawrentians “invigorating. . . . It was fun to see students grab on to what I was saying, really work at it, and be so open.”

Students began the master class at the barre, with increasingly complex warm up exercises before finishing with jumps. Oliveira displayed the combinations, then made gentle corrections as students attempted to recreate what she had shown them. She helped the dancers polish their moves with seemingly minor modifications – the placement of a toe, a small arch in an arm, or the slightest head tilt – small things that make the difference between good and great dance.

“The students were so absorbed and paying such close attention to the details of the corrections!” said Oliveira. “It was a treat to have such disciplined and determined students. They were wonderful and I had a great time.”

Vivian Blessing ’27, Clara Khabbaz ’26, and Zoe Gu ’27, members of the School’s premier dance troupe, the Lawrenceville School Dance Company, were all smiles after the master class.

“It was intense,” said Gu. “Watching her movements was very informative.”

“We’re all very grateful that she took the time to teach us, correct us, and really be present with us,” said Khabbaz. “She reminded me to really think about every single movement that I do and be very precise.”

Blessing said the master class was “a really great experience. I think it’s cool that Lawrenceville could offer this to us. It’s not something that we could have gotten back home.”

Look for more photos, from the master class, the Philadelphia Ballet II performance, and the Spring Dance series, on Lawrenceville’s Flickr page later this week.

For additional information, contact Lisa M. Gillard H'17, director of public relations, at lgillard@lawrenceville.org.