The physics of ballet

A parent recently referred me to a TED-Ed lesson about the physics of ballet pirouettes, specifically what we call “fouettés” (meaning whipped turns). In it Arleen Sugano explains terms like rotational inertia, friction, torque, and conservation of angular momentum, and discusses distributing mass closer and further from the axis of rotation as you turn. Now […]

Summer Dance Classes

Many dance students take lessons during the school year and then have three months or more during the summer with no dance classes. Other students may take classes or “intensives” during the summer, perhaps even traveling far from home to study at a prestigious ballet school. Summer dance classes have two possible advantages for your […]

Dance at the Governor’s School

The South Carolina Governor’s School for the Arts and Humanities started out in 1980 as a five-week summer program for arts students which was held at Furman University. The dance program was added in 1984, and I was on the faculty there each summer for 16 years. I spent those five weeks each summer at […]

Fine Arts Center dance

I recently had the pleasure of substitute teaching for a new 8:00 a.m. class at the School District of Greenville County’s Fine Arts Center dance program and was reminiscing about my 18 years of teaching there. It has come a long way since 1984! The new faculty member who teaches the 8:00 a.m. class, Elizabeth […]

Why so many Nutcrackers?

Local Nutcracker ballet productions Each year various groups present The Nutcracker ballet in Greenville including our own Greenville Ballet. Sometimes it seems like there are more and more productions each year! This year a local dance school that doesn’t even use the word “ballet” in its name premiered their version at Furman University. Here is […]

Greenville Ballet School’s and Joffrey Ballet School

Greenville Ballet School’s Relation To The Joffrey Ballet School Greenville Ballet School’s founders Andrew and Merry Kuharsky both studied at the prestigious Joffrey Ballet School in New York City. The renowned Greenville dance studio for students aged 3 through adult has roots and expertise derived from the masterful teaching methodology of The Joffrey Ballet School in […]

Orangeburg Civic Ballet students visit

Greenville Ballet School director Andrew Kuharsky taught students from the Orangeburg Civic Ballet on August 7, 2015 when they were in Greenville to see “Cinderella” at the Peace Center. Greenville Jazz director April Schaeffer also gave them a jazz master class.  

Mr. K studies with ABT in NYC

Greenville Ballet School director Andrew Kuharsky spent two weeks this summer in New York City taking courses at American Ballet Theatre’s National Training Curiculum. He will be certified by ABT to teach Pre-Primary to Level 5 of their seven-level curriculum. He’ll have to take one more course in the future to complete the most advanced […]

Order your DVD of the Spring Performance

DVDs of our 2015 Spring Performances are available for $31 each. Blu-rays are available for $41 each. CHOOSE “Ballet (May 18)” or “Jazz (May 19)” performance. (Those in Ballet Performance Classes will already receive 1 DVD of the May 18 performance.) DVD of Spring 2015 Performances Ballet DVD (May 18) $31.00 USDJazz DVD (May 19) […]

Misty Copeland in the media

It’s been a long time since a ballet personality has been in the media as much as American Ballet Theater’s Misty Copeland has recently. Many of our students would not know who Mikhail Baryshnikov is (perhaps the last big dance figure in the media), but perhaps they are seeing Misty in the media. Aside from […]