Graham Brings Ballet into the 21st Century

July 30, 2006

Walking through the doors of Alabama Youth Ballet (AYB), one can’t miss the blend of tradition and state-of-the art. Uniformed dancers greet one another with smiles and hugs, happy to be together to study the disciplined art of ballet.

No wonder. Wendy Gibb Graham, AYB’s director, is emphatic about “creating a warm and nurturing environment” where “every dancer’s promise is worthy of realization.” That promise will manifest itself in different ways for different students. Meanwhile, Graham has orchestrated three gatherings for AYB dancers already, cultivating a spirit of community.

Graham has learned from the best. Her mother, Keren Gibb, former school director and associate artistic director at another local ballet school, is known for the way she nurtured babies into beautiful ballerinas and beautiful people. Many of her former students have danced with prestigious conservatories, acclaimed professional programs, and at the university level. Four of Ms. Gibb’s former students spent last year at Harid Conservatory, one at Universal Ballet School, and another heads this fall to dance at the University of California, Santa Barbara.

Graham expects to incorporate many of her mother’s methods, one of which is to draw on the wisdom of others. AYB is hosted its first-ever master class on Sunday, July 23. Margi Cole, director of Chicago’s DanceCOLEctive, and part-time faculty member at the University of Illinois, came to teach modern.

Luba Gulyaeva, is looking forward to teaching a two-week ballet workshop next summer, saying that while she believes in “instilling discipline, I also teach dancers to believe in themselves. It’s only then that you see them blossom.” Gulyaeva graduated from the Vaganova Academy before dancing featured roles with the Kirov Ballet. She came to America in the 1980’s when Mikhail Barishnikov invited her to join the faculty at American Ballet Theatre.

Graham also intends to travel to keep her training current. She recently made a trip to New York City, and plans another to Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet, to glean from others’ knowledge. The best teachers know that, in 2006, they must teach to the whole child, work hard to prevent injuries that have historically plagued ballerinas, and produce well-rounded dancers. Graham looks forward to doing all that, and more.