In August dancer Odile Declerck from Roeselare will be allowed to participate for the second time in the Virtual Summer Intensive stage of the American Ballet Theatre, one of the most important dance schools in the world. “This highly regarded internship is a unique opportunity to learn from the top!”
Odile Declerck is sixteen and follows Science-Mathematics in the Minor Seminary. Besides her studies, she spends a lot of time in the studio of Ndigo, the dance school of Justin Yep and Ineke Vandevyvere. “I take ten hours of dance lessons every week,” says Odile. “That goes from jazz, to modern dance to girly hiphopbut my heart goes out to ballet.”
Under the impulse of her coaches, she took part in the auditions of the American Ballet Theater (ABT) for the second time in the spring. “ABT is one of the most prestigious dance schools in the world,” says Justin, “and it is quite an achievement that a ballerina from Roeselare has secured a place for their two-week summer internship.”
Six weeks of hard training
Only those who pass the strict audition may participate in the internship. Odile also had to get the best out of himself: “Students from ABT, in other words the absolute top in America, danced a few choreos that we then had to imitate. There were a lot of pirouettes in it and there were also several parts that we hadn’t learned here yet.”
That is why Justin and Ineke developed a separate training program for Odile. For six weeks, in addition to her studies and weekly dance lessons, she took extra training in Ndigo. “At home I studied the videos and memorized the order of the steps. Justin filmed my exercises in the studio so we could review and adjust them. It was very intensive, but we couldn’t afford a mistake.”
Just like last year, Odile follows the internship from the studio in Roeselare. “But one day I’ll go to New York,” Odile says firmly. “I’m very sociable and I think it’s a shame that I can’t get to know the other students. Yet I also learn an incredible amount online. I take dance and ballet lessons with the best teachers and we get tips about make-up and injury prevention.”
Nothing better than the real world, but taking the internship online also has some benefits. Justin: “Not only can more students participate in the online internship, it also costs a lot less, because when you go to New York, the costs add up quickly: the flight, the accommodation, the living costs…”
And then Odile’s parents come into view, because without their support this adventure would not be possible. “My parents are my biggest supporters,” says Odile immediately, “and they think I should seize the opportunities I get. I am very grateful to them for doing all this for me.”
Plant seeds
This is also a dream come true for Ineke and Justin. “We believe that ballet should be possible to a certain level for everyone, and not just for girls or boys with the perfect body. We plant seeds with our students, but everything starts with their motivation! At Ndigo, the focus is on the child and fun, not performance.”
That is also ABT’s philosophy and that is why Justin and Ineke want to further develop the relationship with the American dance school: “Just before corona we followed a course in New York and in time we would like to invite teachers from ABT to judge dance exams in Roeselare. .”
But how does such a great dance talent as Odile see the future? “That is a difficult question. My motto is ‘I’ll try and then we’ll see’. Maybe I’ll give dance lessons or dance in some production later, but I’m not really into that yet.”
Ineke fills in: “Odile has so many talents that she will find her place somewhere. I don’t know where that is, but she can’t hide how crazy she is about dancing. I think she will become a real ambassador of the love for dance and culture.”
(LC)
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