San Francisco Ballet's Pianist Seminar Summer Workshop

(strident piano music) - Well, my name is Jamie Narushchen, and I'm the pianist supervisor at the San Francisco Ballet School. The accompanist seminar, it gives people an opportunity, if they have an interest in playing class, you know, if they've never played class before, or if they've played a lot of class, it gives somebody the opportunity to get the basic tools or to get some new tools. - The role of an accompanist in a ballet class is to supply the class with music that motivates the dance

rs to move in whatever way that they need to move. Let's say that you're having a plie combination, which is sort of has like this adagio, legato-like texture. You want to make sure that the music helps to motivate that movement, you want to make sure that what you're playing matches the tambour and the textures of the dancing as well. - So I've been doing the pianist seminar for eight years, eight to nine years. And can you do the introduction a little slower, and make sure you take a nice brea

th on the upbeat. It's kind of an exciting week, because we have a lot of dancers, and we have pianists, rehearsal directors, and choreographers. We start by just going over what is a ballet class? How do different pianists handle a ballet class? How do you work with the teacher? What are styles that we can learn? You know, improvisation. - It's pretty important that you learn how to improvise. Class moves very quickly, so if you can come up with things on the spot, it'll be a lot easier for you

. - You know, the improvisation classes, I try and vary. I give a few notes, and you have to come up with a melody. For example, if I give this note. (plays note) And this note. (plays note) And this note. (plays note) And then I say "Okay, now come up with something, "and make it an adagio and then do a two four," I mean, you'll have to come up with something like. (sinuous piano music) Or something, you know, and then you have to go into a. You know. (playful piano music) Plying for the class

is something that the students love to do. Now they're going to sit down in a room with a rehearsal, a director, and a classroom full of students. It's kind of a performance, and they like doing it because it gives them, you know, real experience. I think the seminar, you know, it gives you the tools, after doing it a week, you really can go out, play ballet class, you have music, you've done it, you feel pretty comfortable. - Because of this program, I was able to become an accompanist here. Wh

at I like most about Jamie's coaching style is that he is very open to allowing you to have creative freedom. - From what I've read, this seminar is the only one where get this kind of intensive experience. You know, it's kind of a interesting group when you get a bunch of accompanists together, and, you know, they're talking, because we're so used to playing by ourselves in the corner (laughs). Reverence in class is a way of saying thank you, you know, offering respect to the teacher, to the mu

sician, and, you know, to this space. And I guess one of my favorite reverences I would play, I mean, I played this probably 35 years ago in Minnesota. (heartfelt piano music) - Thank you Jamie. - Thank you. (audience cheers and applauds)