St. Margaret’s dance students had a rare enrichment opportunity this month to learn from and practice alongside longtime teacher Alaine Haubert from the American Ballet Theater. Through St. Margaret’s recent partnership with the American Ballet Theater, 40 Lower School students and 96 Middle and Upper School students benefited from two separate days of ballet classes.

Ms. Haubert has taught and coached dance for more than 50 years, all over the world. She has held many teaching and directing positions with the American Ballet Theater where she is currently the ballet mistress for the American Ballet Theater William J. Gillespie School at Segerstrom Center for the Arts.

Middle and Upper School students participated in Ms. Haubert's ballet class throughout the two days during their regular dance class times. Two additional ballet classes where taught by Ms. Haubert to Dance Conservatory students after school, as well as an evening Pre-Point Master Class so as many St. Margaret's students as possible could partake in the classes. Ms. Haubert's classes included ballet history and ballet technique.

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“The students were inspired by Alaine's clear explanations about alignment and ballet technique,” said Holly Mehling, Lower and Middle School dance teacher and Dance Conservatory coordinator. “She demystified it and made this classic dance form more accessible. One Lower School student told me she felt as she'd grown more beautiful after taking the master class!”

Dance Conservatory classes included 24 Kindergarten students and a combined class of 16 grade 3-5 students. A total of 23 students attended the Pre-Point Master Class, including one St. Margaret’s alumna.

The students responded very positively to the classes and Ms. Haubert, evidenced in 20 of the Middle and Upper School dance students returning to take her master class in the evening.

“I really liked the class. I feel that my posture at the ballet barre really improved from her detailed explanations of proper posture,” said Nadia Farjami, grade 8.

Sophomore Katherine Sele said, “The ABT master class gave us an experience to hear firsthand what it’s like to be a professional ballerina, as well as get in depth help as to the basics of working in a professional ballet class.”

“I was proud of our class after we took the master class,” said Alexa Christensen grade 6. “So many dancers in the class went in with no experience in ballet, but we all did great!”

Sponsored by the Parent Teacher Fellowship Arts Alliance, the St. Margaret’s Dance Department plans to have this as an annual event and continue to grow the American Ballet Theater partnership for both the students and faculty. St. Margaret's Dance teacher Jamie Leneau said, “We are very excited about our partnership with the American Ballet Theater. The students enjoyed the classes they took with Alaine Haubert and especially appreciated how she connected the history of ballet to the movements they were learning.”