CONGRATULATIONS MISS BONNIE
AND
ALL HER STUDENTS
WHO EXAMINED WITH THE AMERICAN BALLET THEATER!
On May 15, 2010, the
Viera Dance Conservatory was honored to have Raymond Lukens* examine several of VDC's students in the American Ballet Theater
curriculum levels Primary through Level 3. The Viera Dance Conservatory is proud
to announce that all of the students passed their examination! As a result of such
notable success, Miss Bonnie now holds the title of Affiliate Teacher with the American Ballet Theater and is currently
the only affiliate teacher in the Southeastern United States!
*Raymond Lukens has been a faculty member of the American Ballet Theatre (ABT) Jacqueline Kennedy
Onassis (JKO) School since 2005. He was director of Boston Ballet II and Ballet Master for Boston Ballet. In New York City,
he has also taught for American Ballet Theatre, the ABT Studio Company, The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, The Ailey
School, The Juilliard School, Peridance International, Marymount Manhattan College and Dance Theatre of Harlem. Mr. Lukens
has taught in North and Latin America, Australia, Europe, Japan and South Africa. He was Ballet Master for Hartford Ballet,
Cincinnati Ballet, and Alberta Ballet. As a dancer Mr. Lukens toured extensively, and performed the works of Van Dyk, Balanchine,
Petipa, Bournonville, Lifar, Nijinska and Skibine among others. He obtained the highest qualifications as a pedagogue in London
with the Cecchetti Society. Mr. Lukens is ballet teacher for the Dance Educators of America (DEA) Teacher Training School
and choreographed the set exercises and variations for DEA’s Ballet Competition. Mr. Lukens together ABT JKO School
Principal, Franco De Vita, directed the Hamlyn School of Dance in Florence, Italy; and authored the ABT National Training
Curriculum. Mr. Lukens created the syllabi for the New York University Masters Degree program in ABT Ballet pedagogy.