Scünci Supports the American Ballet Theater Summer Intensive Program

Last Friday Night I attended a most unusual press event. It was to highlight the American Ballet Theater's Summer Intensive Program and Scünci's continued contribution to the this wonderful program.



The Ballet Theater's Summer Intensive Program program helps young dancers ages 12-24 across the country, to hone their skills. The students work on their dancing technique, but also learn more about dance as an expressive vehicle to create art. Under the supervision of ABT's Artistic Director Kevin McKenzie and Artistic Director of Summer Intensives, Melissa Allen Bowman, the program offers high quality teachers and master guest teachers in locations such as New York, Michigan, Alabama, Texas and California.



This isn't an ordinary "what I did over Summer vacation" experience. The students take a minimum of four classes per day with an emphasis on classical ballet technique and lecture courses on subjects critical to the development of a complete dancer: Ballet Technique, Pointe Partnering Variations, Men's Technique, Men's Variations, ModernNutrition, Acting for Dancers/Mime, JazzHip-Hop, Character, Dance History, Yoga, Meet the Artist, MusicInjury Prevention, and Pilates.



Scünci, known for their No-Slip-Grip Hair Accessories (reviewed in our November/December 2008 What Works Beauty, Cosmetics & Fashion review column), does more than just provide "Beautiful Blends" hair accessories (that match your hair color ) for the dancers. Scünci has also provided a scholarship to one of the 1,100 students accepted this year.



This year's winner is the lovely Seika Paradeis, just 14 years old! While most young teens are hanging out with friends at the mall, Seika has been busy performing (at the Metropolitan Opera, The Hirahara Ballet Studio in Tokyo, ABT in their production of Coppelia, just to name a few). The photo (from left to right): Director of Public Relations for Conair, Babe Rizutto, scholarship winner Seika Paradeis, and Laurence Borrione of Scunci Public Relations.


Watching Friday night's ABT performance of Le Corsaire at NYC's famed Metropolitan Opera House, I couldn't help but admire the amount of confidence, discipline, strength, and skill these dancers have. It all seems so beautiful and effortless. However, there's nothing effortless about the long hours of practice and discipline required to create this fantasy, onstage. The road to becoming a full-fledged ballet dancer is a long and difficult one.



When I think of Scünci, I think of great hair accessories, but now I also think of them as an important part of a ballet dancer's life in more ways than one. Scünci, (a division of Conair by the way) is also helping to make the dreams of young dancers a reality and keep their hair looking ballet-bun perfect.

If you are inspired by the beauty of ballet, you don't have to be a dancer to add a little bit ballerina style to your own life. Simple make a ballet bun (with Scünci hair accessories, of course). Here's how, step-by-step from the AdviceSisters Blog Post - How to Make A Ballet Bun.