Norwalk Chamber March 2015 Report

Featured Chamber Members
Norwalk’s newest dance company opened with a full season
of ballet classes this past September. Norwalk Metropolitan
Youth Ballet [NMYB] offers a full slate of
classes for students from beginner to advanced, several En Pointe
ballet residencies, and performances in the local public and
parochial schools.
Adam Holms, M.A., a Fairfield native, is a co-founder and
artistic director of the Norwalk Metropolitan Youth Ballet. He
has taught dance in his home state for nearly a decade. Holms’s
noteworthy teaching credentials include some of the most prestigious
nationally and internationally recognized dance organizations.
Mr. Holms is one of the lead outreach ballet instructors
for American Ballet Theatre’s Outreach Department, a judge,
and the director of choreography for CLAP American Ballet in
Guayaquil, Ecuador. In addition, he has worked with his Ecuadorian
colleagues to create Arts in Action, an arts education outreach
program serving the greater Guayaquil region of Ecuador.
“I am fortunate to bring some great professional ballet connections
to the studio, but what makes my work with NMYB
most fulfilling is my admiration and adoration for the dancers,”
says Holms. “We are delighted to be in this diverse city, and
look forward to continuing to help all of our dancers achieve
their personal goals.”
NORWALK METROPOLITAN YOUTH BALLET
Most recently, students from NMYB participated in the
Philadelphia Regional Semi-Finals of the Youth America Grand
(YAGP) January 15–17, 2015. YAGP is the world’s largest network
of dance and provides participants and finalists with scholarships,
master classes, educational activities, performances, and
so much more. NMYB was the only dance studio from Connecticut
to participate in the Philadelphia Regional Semi-Finals,
which has a reputation for being the most challenging of the regionals
in the area.
“We are a brand new studio and have already established
ourselves in the professional ballet community with our successful
participation at the Philadelphia Semi-Finals of YAGP,”
says Holms. “Our dancers were not only well prepared, they
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were poised, well-trained, displayed solid technique, behaved
as courteous professionals through every aspect of the process,
and were proud ambassadors of ballet for the City of Norwalk.”
Sara Adriani of Easton, Olivia Creigh of Milford, and Benjamin
Boveroux, Anna Davis, and Alexander Holms, all of Trumbull,
are NMYB’s Ensemble Étoile. They competed with a piece
of original choreography called “We Are Dancers,” which was
created specifically for this competition by Holms.
Creigh competed as a soloist in the Junior Competitive Contemporary
division with a piece of original choreography called
“A Time Gone By” with a Romeo and Juliette theme. Davis
competed in the Pre-Competitive Classical division with a variation
from “La Fille Mal Gardee” as well as in the Pre-Competitive
Contemporary Division with an original piece of choreography
called “One for Max.” Davis placed in the top 12
semi-finalists in both of her divisions and was invited to compete
in the YAGP finals in New York in April.
Norwalk Metropolitan Youth Ballet is located at 36 Main
Street. They are currently enrolling in technique classes, June
Interim Session, as well as summer ballet workshops. Classes
are geared for students ages six to adult, and leveled from
beginner to pre-professional. For more information, visit
www.nmyb.org, email info@nmyb.org or call (203) 258-4820.
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person in Norwalk’s history to run for mayor. Born and raised
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THE CHAMBER REPORT l March 2015 5