The White Mountain School and CEDS is proud to include the AMERICAN BALLET THEATRE® National Training Curriculum, a breakthrough 9 level program that combines high quality artistic training with the basics of dancer health and child development. The ABT® National Training Curriculum consists of a comprehensive set of age-appropriate, outcome-based guidelines to provide the highest quality ballet training to dance students of all ages and skill levels. Pre-Primary through Level 5 will be taught by ABT® Certified Teacher, Tasha Stramecki, who has successfully completed the ABT® Teacher Training Intensive in Pre-Primary through Level 5 of the ABT® National Training Curriculum.
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The White Mountain School and CEDS Welcomes new Director of Dance
Tasha Stramecki has 25 years of integrated experience in teaching, choreographing, and directing Ballet for all ages and skill levels. Availing all aspects of her cumulative career, Ms.Stramecki is excited to return home to New Hampshire after leading Southwest Ballet Theatre as Artistic Director from 2021-2023. Ms. Stramecki redefined, strengthened, and elevated the non-profit art organization through exceptional leadership and vision that enriched lives and provided quality ballet training and presentations for the West Valley of metro Phoenix. While in Phoenix Tasha was adjunct faculty for the Grand Canyon University Dance Department, Instructed classes for Effusion Dance Center, and co worked with Choreographer and former Principal Dancer of Ballet Arizona Astrit Zejnati in her production of a Midsummer and Firebird.
Prior to her role at Southwest, Ms. Stramecki and her husband Jorge Arrunategui, a fine artist originally from Peru embarked on an International exchange. Having the privilege to teach classes for the D1 Cultural Association under (Vania Masias) in Peru, which lead to guest teaching with Ballet Municipal Lima, Ballet Concierto Cancun, and finally opening the first American Ballet School in Santa Catarina, Brazil. “Sharing what I love with others abroad proved to be the most transformative highlight of my career and profoundly deepened my reflection, understanding, and practice of Ballet pedagogy, approach, and redefined my purpose and commitment as an evolving person and dance artist.” Her teaching career started in the New England area in 1998 where she taught and directed several ballet programs, implementing the ABT curriculum. She has choreographed and produced several ballets including “The Nutcracker”, “ Sleeping Beauty”, “A Midsummer Night's Dream” “The Firebird”, “Carmina Burana” “Raymonda”, “Etudes”, “Cinderella”, “Sylvia” “Cello Reflections” and other original choreography. Ms. Stramecki’s early training started with Ballet Austin, scholarship study with the Boston Ballet, and a scholarship awardee to University of Oklahoma where she graduated with a BFA in ballet performance. She has performed with the Oklahoma Festival Ballet OU dance department, Arkansas Ballet, Boston Ballet, Ballet New England, Granite State Ballet, and the Northern Ballet Theatre. Some of her favorite roles to perform were The Sugar Plum Fairy pas de deux, Dew drop Fairy, Odette in “Swan Lake”, and Lilac Fairy in “The Sleeping Beauty”, She has had the great honor and privilege to train and work with Master Teachers in Vaganova, Bournonville, Cechetti, Balanchine, and French Schools of Ballet and incorporates the traditions of excellence and mastery in her classes which are carefully crafted with a gentle and systematic approach. “My mission in alignment with holistic and quality training practices is to provide an opportunity for children and their families to develop an appreciation for ballet and a lifelong love for dance and the arts." Her students have been accepted to The Boston Ballet School, Joffrey, ABT summer intensives, Ballet Arizona, Master Ballet Academy, CPYB summer, Alonzo Lines, Ailey, Hubbard Street, Burklyn Ballet, and several other pre-professional dance programs. |
Local Legacy, New Family
For over two decades, Creative Edge Dance Studio has been providing fun,
rewarding, and challenging experiences in the exploration of dance for
students and residents of the North Country of all ages and abilities. Creative
Edge’s well-trained and qualified teachers have a wealth of professional,
academic, and studio experience in the fields of dance, performance, and
education. The studio offers a wide range of class options and levels to suit
any aspiring dancer’s needs.
For many years, Creative Edge operated independently on the campus of The
White Mountain School. In 2018, the School’s Board of Trustees formally
incorporated the studio into the larger White Mountain family. Today, Creative
Edge continues to offer classes to non-White Mountain students. It has also
significantly expanded its capacity to serve White Mountain students who can
take any number of dance courses offered at the studio and take dance
in place of a full-time sport.
For over two decades, Creative Edge Dance Studio has been providing fun,
rewarding, and challenging experiences in the exploration of dance for
students and residents of the North Country of all ages and abilities. Creative
Edge’s well-trained and qualified teachers have a wealth of professional,
academic, and studio experience in the fields of dance, performance, and
education. The studio offers a wide range of class options and levels to suit
any aspiring dancer’s needs.
For many years, Creative Edge operated independently on the campus of The
White Mountain School. In 2018, the School’s Board of Trustees formally
incorporated the studio into the larger White Mountain family. Today, Creative
Edge continues to offer classes to non-White Mountain students. It has also
significantly expanded its capacity to serve White Mountain students who can
take any number of dance courses offered at the studio and take dance
in place of a full-time sport.