CENTREVILLE —In April, students from both QACHS and KIHS were treated to a transformative experience as they participated in a Classical Chinese Dance Masterclass led by Rose Xinran Qi at their schools. This invaluable opportunity was made possible through the collaborative efforts of QACPS and the Carole Cascio Fund for Mind Movement Dance Connections.
This latest masterclass follows a series of enriching experiences, including a recent session at the 2nd Annual Eastern Shore Arts Festival at Chesapeake College with Peter Pucci, Executive Director of the Carole Cascio Fund. Previously, Pucci introduced both QACPS high schools to a diverse range of dance forms, including ballet from the New York Dance Project, a Classical Indian Dance Masterclass, collaborations with Melinda Blomquist and the CCBC Dance Company, and Adrienne Kraus Latanishen’s dynamic hip-hop masterclasses at QACHS and Centreville Middle.
Michael Bell, Supervisor of Visual and Performing Arts for QACPS says the partnership with Peter Pucci has been invaluable, and the enthusiasm and participation from Kristen Tyler, QACHS Dance Teacher and QACPS Lead Performing Arts Teacher, and Amber Wright, Dance Teacher and 2020 QACPS Teacher of the Year—incredible.
Rose Xinran Qi, an accomplished independent artist, choreographer, researcher, and educator, brought her extensive expertise to each QACPS dance studio over the course of the day, free of charge to the school system, courtesy of the Carole Cascio Fund. With over 25 years of professional dance training and a rich artistic background encompassing ballet, contemporary, postmodern, and classical Chinese dance, Rose holds a BFA in dance performance and choreography from ShanXi Academy in China, as well as an MFA in dance from the University of Maryland.
Having choreographed over 50 dance productions and performed over 200 times both nationally and internationally, Rose’s passion for dance resonated with the students, who thoroughly enjoyed and benefited from her energetic and creative teaching style.
Catch a glimpse of the highlights from the Dance Masterclass in our YouTube video below!
The Carole Cascio Fund is committed to its mission of nurturing young artists by fostering connections between mind, movement, and dance, thus supporting the development of artistic expression and creativity in students of all ages and levels. On May 2nd, the foundation is supporting students in Dance and Theatre courses from QACPS in attending CCBC’s 50th Anniversary Show.
