QUENEDIT DANCE THEATRE
THE COMPANY
Quenedit Dance Theatre is dedicated to bringing the joy of dance to the San Antonio community by offering a pre-professional dance company to talented dancers and presenting quality performances to more than 1,000 people each season. Students participating in the company are given the opportunity to explore their artistry through working with professional choreographers, both faculty and guest artists. The participants gain stage experience at a young age and learn the discipline necessary to preparing for performance, stage etiquette, confidence, and decorum which are inherent in performance environments.
Vision
To enrich lives through Dance.
Mission
Quenedit Dance Theatre’s mission is to enrich lives through dance by providing our pre-professional company opportunities to develop as leaders and dancers, perform for audiences in local, national and international venues, and engage the San Antonio community through exposure of the Performing Arts.
Goals
1. Deliver high quality, professional level performances and enhance the essential skills (discipline, stage etiquette, confidence, and decorum) our dancers require to successfully prepare and perform for various size audiences in various venues.
2. Develop create well-rounded, technically excellent, dance ambassadors through our comprehensive development opportunities.
3. Engage with our community, the city of San Antonio and the world.
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PERFORM
QDT NUTCRACKER: Our biggest performance of the year is our annual presentation of the Nutcracker. In 2015, QDT had two performances with 200+ participants, selling 1000+ tickets, doubling audience sizes since 2014. QDT owns all production materials for the Nutcracker including three separate scene sets and a full costume collection. This family favorite features QDT company members, acrobats from participating San Antonio gyms, dancers from San Antonio dance schools and special featured local celebrities as the infamous Mother Ginger. QDT company members are the core of our annual Nutcracker performance. During company rehearsals all members learn the large group pieces such as Snow and Waltz of the Flowers which will include 12-16 dancers. Experience as a member the corps de ballet requires the dancers to learn choreography quickly and maintain mental flexibility as positions are changed throughout the choreography.
SPRING SHOW: Culminating a year of training, the Spring Concert mixed repertory showcases the technical and artistic achievement of QDT’s young dancers and is performed at the Carver Cultural Community Theater, San Antonio. This program includes short works that showcase the skills of QDT’s Company and explores ballet’s range through a program of shorts works (or excerpts) in a variety of genres and styles, ranging from classical ballet to contemporary. The Spring Concert includes original pieces created specifically for the QDT Company by renowned choreographers.
DEVELOP
BALLET TRAINING: All QDT company members have access to a superior training program with increased focus on strengthening, flexibility and musicality with a world-class faculty and a comprehensive curriculum. With a strong foundation in classical ballet technique, dancers are also exposed to various dance styles including jazz, modern, contemporary ballet, tap, Pilates, strengthening, and stretch courses. Outside of Florida, QBS is the only dance school in the USA that teaches the Cuban ballet technique, which incorporates components from other classical ballet forms; the Cuban technique encompasses the long extensions and strength from Russian technique, fast footwork from Italian technique, and head and arm movements from French technique.
INTERNATIONAL PARTNERSHIP: Collaborations with the Escuela Superior de Musica in Monterey Mexico and National Cuban School of Ballet have allowed QDT to provide international opportunities to the QDT company members. The cultural exchange brought six (6) male dancers to San Antonio to participate in the 2015 Nutcracker; these male dancers provided opportunity for advanced pas de deux classes for the company members.
SCHOLARSHIPS: QDT’s scholarship program is designed to support, improve, and increase opportunities for students who wish to further their dance/performing arts training for a career in dance and the performing arts. Scholarships are awarded by audition at QDT in the fall term (for the academic year), and the summer (for the Summer Intensive). The majority of scholarships go to intermediate and advanced level students, ages 12-18.
ENGAGE
BALLET EXPERIENCE PROGRAM: The Ballet Experience program is one of the ways QDT gives back to the city by introducing dance to different communities in San Antonio. QDT dancers love to offer free performances in various venues throughout San Antonio such as festivals, assisted living communities, hospitals, schools and churches in order to reach people of all ages who may not otherwise be able to enjoy a live performance. In 2015, QDT performed an abridged version of their Nutcracker performance at five elementary schools and two assisted living facilities.
PERFORMANCE ARTS for ALL: QDT also provides complimentary tickets to our performances to San Antonio Parks & Rec, Children’s Shelter, Boys Club, St. PJs, New Beginnings, Up Bring-LSS.
GUEST ARTISTS: QDT company members are given the opportunity to explore their artistry through working with professional choreographers, both faculty and guest artists. These world renowned dancers teach master classes, choreograph one-of-a-kind pieces and provide private instruction to enhance technique and artistry. All faculty have extensive training and have professional dancing experience.
GUEST FACULTY: Our international faculty includes Ramona de Saa, Director of the National Cuban School of Ballet, Roberto Machado-Coordinator of Classical Ballet Studies at the Escuela Superior de Musica in Monterey Mexico and Eduardo Vilaro, Artistic Director & CEO of Ballet Hispanico.
DIRECTORS
On behalf of the directors, Catalina Garza and Ernesto Quenedit, we thank you for learning more about our San Antonio Ballet Classes. Find below a compilation of the very important people who help make the Quenedit Ballet School fantastic.
Our artistic directors, Catalina and Ernesto, are passionate and dedicated teachers, who hope to share their love of dance with all students. They draw on their combined twenty years of professional, international dance careers and ten years of teaching experience to create a program that benefits all students. Strengthening, flexibility and musicality are focused upon and the progress of all students is celebrated.
CATALINA GARZA
ERNESTO QUENEDIT
COMPANY MEMBERS
Irem Aktunc
Mailen Alvarez
Abcde Bannister
Azriel Bannister
Kandra Barolia
Samantha Connell
Penny Gibbs
Sofia Gomez
Horus Hudgins
Grace Kapp
Tatiana Moreno
Leinell Ombaba
Petra Santillano
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
CATALINA GARZA
President
ERNESTO QUENEDIT
Vice President
SHARON ZURCHER
Secretary/Treasurer
AMI GORDON
Parliamentarian
VIOLETA DE LEON DAVILA
Director
TARA MATTIVI
Director
ADMINISTRATION
CATALINA GARZA
Executive Director
ERNESTO QUENEDIT
Artistic Director
SHARON ZURCHER
Assistant Director
TARA MATTIVI
Stage Manager
Quenedit Dance Theatre
As one of the first recipients of the Shuttered Venue Operators Grant, Quenedit Dance Theatre would like to thank co-author of the grant, Senator John Cornyn. This grant gave QDT the ability to continue with its annual Nutcracker Ballet production at the Lila Cockrell Theater in San Antonio, TX, as well as the opportunity to present school shows and the full Nutcracker production at the Cailloux Theater in Kerrville TX.
Contact Us
22610 US Hwy 281 N, Suite 221
San Antonio, TX 78258
(210) 535-4165
Mon-Thur: 2:00pm–9:00pm
Fri: 2:00pm-7:00pm
Sat: 9:00am–2:00pm