Who: Katie Scibienski, an instructor at Princeton Ballet School.
Inspiration: Scibienski, pictured at right with several students, had great admiration for her teachers throughout her dance training, so she knows first-hand how influential teachers can be. Teaching has given her the opportunity not only to share her passion for dance with the next generation of dancers, but also to make a positive impact on young minds.
Academic Background: As a girl Scibienski moved from New Jersey, where she had trained at the Princeton Ballet School, to Michigan, where she trained at the Flint School of Performing Arts and attended Grand Blanc High School. During her junior year she attended the Kirov Academy of Ballet, a ballet boarding school in Washington, DC. She graduated magna cum laude from Butler College in Indiana with a degree in dance pedagogy in 2005.
Career path: After graduating from college, Scibienski moved to Portland, Maine, to dance as an apprentice with the Portland Ballet Company. She then moved back to New Jersey, where she danced in many projects and began teaching at various schools, including Princeton Ballet, to gain experience. She instantly preferred the structured and focused atmosphere of Princeton Ballet School and the kind of students it attracts.
Special focus: Scibienski grew up with Vaganova training and uses this knowledge combined with Princeton Ballet School’s own syllabus to teach her classes.
Most
satisfying moment: This past year Scibienski worked with three different groups of young dancers for the school’s spring production of “Coppelia.” It was a great deal of work, but seeing the dancers’ smiles from the wings on the opening day of the performance made it all worthwhile for her.
Summer vacation: This summer Scibienski taught Princeton Ballet School’s Summer Intensive Intermediates, a five-week program in Cranbury. Until regular classes resume in the fall, she will teach some one-day workshops and spend lots of time relaxing with family and friends.
Extracurriculars: Scibienski enjoys running and has recently become more interested in yoga. She also loves going back to her home state of Michigan to visit her parents and five siblings.
Katie Scibienski, American Repertory Ballet’s Princeton Ballet School, 301 North Harrison Street, Princeton. 609-921-7758.
Princeton Ballet School, 29 North Main Street, Cranbury. 609-921-7758.
