Ballet Illuminations Master Class

Janek ScJanek Schergenhergen is from Göteborg, Sweden. He studied ballet with Richard Ellis and Christine Du Boulay of the Sadlers Wells Ballet, and continued at the American Ballet Center and the Harkness House for Ballet Arts in New York. In 1971, he joined the Royal Winnipeg Ballet and the following year, became a member of the Pennsylvania Ballet in Philadelphia, under the directorship of Barbara Weisberger and Benjamin Harkarvy, spending 11 years with the Company. In 1978, he began teaching at the School of the Pennsylvania Ballet. In addition to dancing and teaching, he began staging the works of Mary Day, the Director of Washington Ballet, and Choo San Goh, the Company’s Resident Choreographer, to guest-teach for the Washington Ballet. He joined Washington Ballet in a full-time position as ballet master and teacher, and toured with the Company through the Far East, Europe and South America, as well as the United States.

In 1988, the was invited to be the ballet master and Company teacher for the Royal Swedish Ballet in Stockholm, rehearsing full-length classics such as Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty, and La Bayadère, as well as works by Sir Frederick Ashton and Sir Kenneth MacMillan. In 1991, he completed his studies in written dance notation in London, receiving his certification in Benesh Movement Notation. He later became a ballet master for Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre where he rehearsed th full length classics and important additions to the repertoire. He has staged his own production of The Sleeping Beauty for Ballet Met (1984), The Milwaukee Ballet (1995), Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre (1996, 2000, 2005), Pennsylvania Ballet (1997, 2002), and the Norwegian National Ballet (2006). In January 1994, he was appointed Artistic Director of the Nashville Ballet, as well as Director of the company’s school. He remained with the organisation for three seasons.

From 2002-2006, he was the ballet master and staff teacher of the Norwegian National Ballet (NNB) in Oslo. He was responsible for rehearsing many full-length works, in addition to contemporary works and the most recent Balanchine repertoire. The production he created of Tornerose (Sleeping Beauty) for NNB was broadcasted on NRK television in December 2006. In 2007, he was appointed Assistant Artistic Director of SDT. He staged all of the ballets for the September 2007 season. The Legacy of Goh Choo San, and made it one of SDT’s most successful seasons.

In 2008, Janek Schergen was appointed Artistic Director of SDT. Over the past eight years, he has been part of several panels and committees for the National Arts Council and also frequently invited to judge at several international ballet competitions. Under his leadership, the Company continues soaring new heights and earning achievements internationally as well as in the local dance area. His other stagings include Swan Lake, Giselle, Sleeping Beauty, Romeo & Juliet, The Nutcracker, Paquita and Coppélia. He also created his own three-part children’s ballet series production, Peter & Blue.

Workshop information
Date: 2 May (Saturday)
Time: 10am – 11:30am
Venue: Pentas 1, klpac
Prior registration is needed. Please download the form here.