Ryesha Higgs Ryesha Higgs Summer Dance Intensive
Ryesha Higgs Ryesha Higgs Summer Dance Intensive
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I was born in the United States, but grew up in the Turks & Caicos Islands, the place I truly call home. At an early age I showed a keen interest in the performing arts, naturally my mother enrolled me into Ballet classes on island and it was there that I truly developed a passion for performance. As I grew, I expanded my interest to take classes in Dance, Voice and, Classical Piano.
Though I lived on a small island, my training in dance was very thorough and I was introduced to a wide variety of techniques including Ballet, Pointe, Release- Technique Modern and West African. In the TCI I attended the Aretuza ' s School of Dance, the Bowen Dance Academy and Rock it Hot Dance studio, where I trained regularly whilst balancing my academics; my training was further reinforced by my travels abroad to study at the Pennsylvania Academy of Ballet Summer Intensive, the Vail Valley / Saratoga Springs Summer Dance Intensive and, the Ailey School Professional Division at the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre.
After I completed High School with an International Distinction from the Cambridge International Examination Board, I took a leap of faith and ventured off from my 37 square metre island to the Big Apple, New York City. Here, I trained as a Professional Division Independent Study Program student at the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre. I trained in many different styles such as, Ballet, Horton, Grahambased Modern, Dunham, Tap, Hip Hop and Jazz, and I also had the opportunity to work alongside well known choreographers- Jennifer Archibald, Christopher Rudd, Nathan Trice and Judine Summerville, in performing choreographic works in theatre. I transitioned on to attend the Dance Theatre of Harlem, where I refined my Ballet and Pointe technique and performed choreography by Ballet pioneers, Agustus Van Heerden and Robert Garland. At the same time, I began to pursue my academic passions in science as a Bachelor ' s of Science in Biology undergraduate. My passion for dance has allowed me to perform on many stages, as a student, professional trainee and past company member with Genesis Contemporary Ballet. I continue to pursue professional dance at the Mark Morris Dance Group Open School.
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