In this conversation, Robin Snyder-Wiencek & Norma Pera, discuss the multifaceted nature of dance education, emphasizing the importance of setting students up for success, the art of teaching, and the life lessons learned through dance.
They highlight the significance of performance experience, the role of structure in dance classes, and the necessity of fostering resilience and independence in students.
The conversation also touches on the emotional challenges faced by teenagers and the empowering nature of dance as a form of self-expression and personal growth.
About Norma:
Norma Pera began teaching at the Baltimore School for the Arts (BSA) when it opened in 1979 and assumed leadership of the Dance Department in 1992 following the retirement of renowned classical dancer Sylvester Campbell.
Her dance training began at the age of three in a children’s ballet class at Carnegie Hall, and continued from age seven in the studio of Martha Manners on Long Island, NY. Norma went on to perform with the ballet company at Radio City Music Hall, Rudolf Nureyev and Friends, and the Maryland Ballet. She trained extensively under Elena Tchernichova and later taught ballet classes at both Carnegie Hall and in Baltimore.
Campbell, her colleague at the Maryland Ballet, recruited her to join him at the then newly established BSA. At the time, many students had no prior ballet training, and Norma embraced the challenge of designing a curriculum that taught not only ballet technique but also its history and traditions.
As Dance Department Head, she expanded the curriculum to include men’s classes, pas de deux, and men’s and women’s variations classes. Under her leadership, BSA became one of the few high schools in the nation granted permission to perform works by the legendary choreographer George Balanchine.
Dancers trained under Ms. Pera have gone on to perform with esteemed companies including Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Aspen Santa Fe Ballet, Béjart Ballet, Charlotte Ballet, Complexions Contemporary Ballet, Kidd Pivot, Lines Ballet, Pennsylvania Ballet, Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre, Sacramento Ballet, and the Washington Ballet.
Beyond the world of dance, BSA alumni under her guidance have also found success in a wide range of fields. They have worked with organizations such as DreamWorks Animation, the Kennedy Krieger Institute, and the NYC Department of Consumer Affairs, and have become doctors, social workers, and dance studio owners, among many other professions.
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