Guest Teacher

Philip Gardner's ballet class emphasizes proper alignment and technique as a tool not only for good line and consistent advancement, but also as a realistic application and vehicle for longevity—geared toward the professional dancer. Using classical conventions as well as concepts taken from other forms students will learn to dance with an expressive style, work with limitations, and try to understand and avoid injury.

Ballet

hilip Gardner was born in St. Louis where he received his initial training at the Missouri Concert Ballet from Alexandra Zaharias and later from Antoni Zelewski and Ludmilla Dukodouvsky. He attended the Visual and Performing Arts High School of St. Louis and in 1984 received a scholarship to the summer program at the Joffrey Ballet School in New York.
Philip was a member of the school's Concert Group then The Joffrey II and in 1990 he joined the Joffrey Ballet where he performed various principal roles until 1995.

During his career Philip has worked with a wide range of companies and choreographers including; The Dennis Wayne Dancers, Feld Ballets/NY, The Metropolitan Opera Ballet of NY, Margot Sappington, Twyla Tharp, Joey McNeely, Carole Armitage, Stephen Petronio, Peter Pucci, Buglisi/Foreman, Lucinda Childs, Lar Lubovitch, Susan Marshall and Martha Clarke. He has also danced captained for Martha Clarke in her Off Broadway production of Vienna Lusthaus, and for Twyla Tharp in her Broadway production of Movin’ Out.

Philip's teaching experience includes; classes at the Missouri Concert Ballet, The Visual and Performing Arts High School of St. Louis, The Ovations Dance School of Long Island, Workshops in New York, San Francisco and abroad with the Stephen Petronio Co., Verb Dance of Cleveland, Ballet Arts and Steps on Broadway.