Pictured (L-R): Antonio Fini, Eydi Kitchens, Faith Alford, Tammy Stanford
What It Means to Be Part of Fini Dance Junior Company
Faith Alford and Eydi Kitchens, both of Crystal Springs and Seniors in the Dance program at The Mississippi School of the Arts (MSA), have been awarded an apprenticeship with Fini Dance Junior Company, an elite pre-professional dance program designed to bridge the gap between student training and a professional career.
The four-week summer program will be in Villapiana, Italy, a town recently named City of Dance. Under the artistic direction of Antonio Fini, dancers will receive intensive training, mentorship, and performance opportunities, working with renowned choreographers and artists from both the European and American dance worlds.
Dancers will engage in daily ballet classes led by esteemed instructors, ensuring a strong technical foundation. They will work with:
- Michael Mao (Michael Mao Dance, New York) – Ballet
- Concetta Barillaro – Acclaimed Italian ballet teacher with a distinguished national career
- Yoshito Sakuraba (Abarukas Dance, New York) – Contemporary & Modern Choreography
- Gianni Santucci – Choreographer for Ballet, Opera, Film, and Netflix Productions
- Abby Silva (Parsons Dance) – Professional Performance Coaching
“This immersive experience provides an extraordinary opportunity for young dancers to train and perform at a pre-professional level, giving them a taste of what it means to be part of a professional company” said Tammy Stanford, Director of the Dance program at MSA.
As part of the Fini Dance Junior Company, dancers will also have the honor of performing at the Fini Dance Festival, an internationally recognized dance event.
This apprenticeship is a rare and prestigious opportunity for dancers at this stage in their careers. Only 10 apprenticeships are awarded world-wide. It provides direct mentorship from industry professionals, builds connections with international artists, and prepares them for the next step in their journey—from student to professional dancer.
MSA is an eleventh and twelfth grade visual and performing arts residential, public high school located in Brookhaven, MS. Students not only meet and exceed the traditional Mississippi high school curriculum, they receive special instruction in visual arts, vocal music, dance, writing/literary arts, filmmaking/media arts and theatre. MSA also has a “Collegiate Academy” program where qualified students can earn their high school diploma and an associate degree at the same time at no cost! In addition to MSA students winning awards for their work on the state, regional and national levels, the school consistently has one of the highest ACT averages in the state.
Students interested in MSA apply their sophomore year. MSA also offers a Summer Camp for rising 8th-10th graders with scholarships available.
For more information contact us at admissions@msabrookhaven.org visit our website www.msabrookhaven.org or call 601-823-1300.