Vision
Atelier Rainbow Tanzkunst (ART) expresses the idea of an artist's workspace where dance and body awareness are taught and experienced as a continuum of movement that arches, spirals and circles through the constant fluctuations of the ever changing rainbow.
Mission
Introducing new techniques, styles and influences that keep the art of dance alive and vibrant is a main focus of the school. ART, with its faculty of professional dancers, strives to train future generations of dancers by continuing to share the traditions and legacies of the diverse and lavish heritage of dance.
Philosophy and Spirit
ART wishes to instill in each student the skill, discipline, respect for precision and joy of expression through dance, regardless of career goals. One of the most important objectives of our school is to create a positive atmosphere for progressive training, in order to ensure that each pupil enjoys personal attention, motivation, and inspiration.
The school strives to encourage, respect and challenge each student's individuality, aiming to increase each student's self-confidence, poise and self-reliance. Conveying an enhanced appreciation of the fine arts and music, as well as improved posture and physical control for everyday life are additional goals of the school.
The human body is such a complex instrument that training to be a dancer entails intense work and concentration, yet it offers each student one of the most rewarding, fulfilling, and enriching experiences of a lifetime!
Professional Supervision
The carefully selected professional faculty, rich in performance experience, has the expertise andbackground to offer excellence in dance training. The teachers strive to develop in each pupil as love and enjoyment of dance and the desire to master its technique. The credentials of the teachers ensure that the students will acquire proper physical and artistic development appropriate to his or her individual abilities. Attention to detail and refinement in training is reflected in the school's outstanding staff, many of whom still enjoy professional engagements as dancers as well as guest teacher positions throughout the world.
Performance Experience
Dance is a visual art to be expressed and witnessed. Most students of dance enjoy the art of performance. Presenting what one has learned and accomplished through dance training with a performance is one of the greatest dreams of most students. When properly prepared and encouraged, students exude self-confidence, enjoyment, and they experience the feeling of personal accomplishment. For this reason, ART puts on a professionally produced stage presentation every second year. Participation is by choice; however, the faculty highly recommends participation in this form of dance presentation as the students gain poise, group experience, and the chance to show their progress and the achievements of their hard work to family and friends!
History of ART
In 1991 Gretchen Bernard-Newburger married and a year later gave birth to her son. These two events and her love of the art of dance led her to the decision to found her own school. In October 1997, under the name "Atelier Rainbow", the school took flight on the wings of Ballerina Gretchen Bernard-Newburger. For the first five years, she alone taught up to 120 students a week. As the school expanded, additional professional staff were engaged. Even as a young, professional, artistic directors noticed Gretchen's attention to detail and love of dance, encouraging her to take apprentice dancers under her creative wing for the purpose of learning new repertoire. These experiences led to a newfound love of teaching and choreography. Learning from some of the world's finest dancers, dance teachers, and choreographers has provided her with a vast array of pedagogical techniques and a broad perspective for the art of dance. Gretchen exudes a contagiously optimistic approach in her teaching and choreography, bringing all of her professional experience, self-discipline, and knowledge to the students of her school. "Madame Gretchen" has the gift of inspiring and aiding young dancers, understanding fully through her lifelong experience in dance, how to nurture young talent. Madame Gretchen's direction and pedagogical style are infused with three important qualities: artistic vision, knowledge of technical traditions, and most of all, a passion to share the art of dance.