Antonio Rosario is a classically trained in both the Vaganova method and Bournonville style graduating from the Gelsey Kirkland Academy of Classical Ballet in NYC. He has taught ballet, pas de duex, pointe, stretch/conditioning, and repertoire in both the classics and ballets by August Bournonville. He received his teaching certification from the Gelse Kirkland Academy where he studied one-on-one with Gelsey Kirkland. He has taught master classes in ballet all over the nation and internationally like Granada, Spain.

He also was a Conservatory Director at Ballet 5:8 where he was in charge of teaching a set curriculum, set exams, communicating with parents, and choreographing. He has had a student place Top 12 in YAGP under his guidance in 2018 as well as choreography place within the top 10 at the National Ballet Competition in 2024. He is also a flamenco teacher who won 2nd place at Flamenco Vivo Certamen Competition held at Lincoln Center, NYC.

Antonio was personally invited by Mr Edward Ellison to coach his students on the importance of the Spanish/Flamenco style at Ellison Ballet for his production of Carmen.

Antonio premiered his choreography, “Alegeria Española” in November, 2023 on the professional dancers of First State Ballet Theatre. Demonstrating a unique combination of classical Spanish dance, the bolero style and classical ballet.

For ballet class, we will focus on upper body placement, correct use of turnout, and alignment emphasizes the connection between movement, posture, technique and a touch of Bournonville technique.

At the barre, we will use exercises that encourage proper upper body placement. A key focus is finding the natural alignment of the spine while avoiding over-arching the lower back or leaning too far forward. I will emphasize the importance of lengthening through the top of the head, creating a strong connection from the pelvis to the crown of the head.

Throughout the class, dancers will focus on the “line” of the body: maintaining a straight line from the top of the head down through the body, including the arms, which should feel open but not overly stiff. I will provide frequent corrections to ensure that movements such as pliés, tendus, and pirouettes are done with the appropriate upper body engagement, proper turnout, and the body’s center aligned.

By the end of the class, students will have a deeper understanding of how their bodies should be placed in space, the importance of using turnout correctly and safely, and how to achieve optimal alignment in every position.

We will learn a dance from La Ventana by August Bournonville with a few minor changes to allow the dance to be complete. Bournonville is full of life, acting, jumping and lots of dancing! We will focus on the importance of the style, musicality and the mime that is involved with this choreography. You will be taking a bit of ballet history with you as La Ventana was the last ballet that Bournonville restaged at the Royal Theatre in 1874. Looking forward to sharing this knowledge with the dancers of CCB.

Stephen Everson, originally from Toledo, Ohio, began dancing recreationally at the age of 12. In 2016 he started his formal ballet training at Ballet 5:8 School of the Arts, and later at Project Ballet. While training, Stephen was given the opportunity to attend the Royal Danish Ballet Summer School in Copenhagen, Denmark, where he had the honor of studying under Fosse legends Ann Reinking and Dana Moore. In 2018 Stephen joined Ballet 5:8’s professional company as a trainee, touring and performing across the country. Stephen started working as a freelance artist in 2019, dancing lead roles such as Oberon in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Prince Siegfried in Swan Lake, and Cavalier in The Nutcracker; he also performed as a guest artist with Charleston Ballet Theatre. In 2021, Stephen joined First State Ballet Theatre, where his repertoire includes Dracula in Viktor Plotnikov’s Dracula, Dr. Coppelius in Coppélia, Fantasy to Dvořák, Giselle, Swan Lake, Don Quixote, The Sleeping Beauty, and excerpts from Raymonda and La Bayadère. He has also performed in original works by choreographers Zachary Kapeluck, Blake Krapels, Maeghan McHale, and many others. This will be Stephen’s fourth season with First State Ballet Theatre.

In my class and throughout the choreography I intend to have a heavy focus on musicality and how that translates to the dancers movement dynamics and quality. I was raised as a musician and would like to draw from that.

The combinations we will do throughout class will focus on accents and breath while encouraging the students to hear and count the music, as well as feel each other as they work together.

I have a strong focus on placement and coordination in my class as a general rule, however I would like to lean more into a focus on the music for my time working with the students at City Center.

The piece I will be doing is an original work and will most likely be a waltz in the classical/neoclassical style, however I am still working with a few different pieces of music and haven’t made a final decision on what that will be.