Manhattan Movement & Arts Center announces auditions for Manhattan Youth Ballet's Summer Intensive at the Manhattan Movement & Arts Center at 248 W. 60th Street, NYC (between Amsterdam and West End Avenues) in the Lincoln Center area. Auditions will take place on Sunday, March 4, 2012 from 1pm to 5pm. Auditions for ages 8-10 are from 1:30-2:15pm, ages 10-13 are from 2:30-3:30pm and ages 14 & up are from 3:30-5:00. Registration will take place beginning at 1pm in person. Video auditions will also be accepted. Please visit http://www.manhattanyouthballet.org/a/intensives for details.

Manhattan Youth Ballet offers a comprehensive three-week Summer Intensive in August to prepare dancers to return to their year-round programs. With a distinguished faculty from the New York City Ballet, American Ballet Theatre and The Kirov Ballet, as well as with contemporary classes and pilates, each student will receive an extremely well-rounded experience to improve both their technique and artistry. There will be an end-of-program performance at the state-of-the-art MMAC Theater for family, friends and invited industry guests. Modeled after the great schools of Europe, this pre-professional program is the only one of its kind in this country. Former students of Manhattan Youth Ballet now dance with American Ballet Theatre, New York City Ballet, Boston Ballet, Pacific Northwest Ballet, Washington Ballet, Nederland Dans Theatre and Complexion among others.

The Manhattan Youth Ballet Summer Intensive is under the direction of Executive Artistic Director Rose Caiola and Artistic Advisor Daniel Ulbricht. Deborah Wingert leads the faculty that includes Marina Stavitskaya, Natalia Boesch, Wendy Whelan, Brian Reeder, Michael Vernon, Dena Abergel, Erin Fogarty and Karen Lacy for Ballet; Attila Joey Csiki and Kate Skarpetowska of Lar Lubovitch Dance and Robert Fairchild and Savannah Lowery of the New York City Ballet for Contemporary/Jazz; Misha Braun, Laurie Hurt for Pilates. Instruction will also be provided by additional guest faculty from New York City Ballet, American Ballet Theatre and Boston Ballet School.

Dancers should arrive at least 45 minutes prior to your audition time to register. There is no dress code for the audition class. Dancers should dress as they would for any ballet class. Girls ages 13 and older should bring their pointe shoes. All applicants must submit a completed application, available at www.manhattanyouthballet.org, and must bring a headshot and photo in first arabesque. The audition fee is $25 payable by cash or credit. Tuition for the three-week performance intensive is $1,425. Financial aid and merit scholarships are available. One and two week non-performance options are also available.

MYB also announces a scholarship program for all boys ages 8-22. The Benny Caiola Men of Merit Scholarship offers the opportunity for motivated young men to train with today's leading male dancers as well as distinguished choreographers. Heading this scholarship program will be NYCB Principal Dancer and MYB Artistic Advisor, Daniel Ulbricht. Featured faculty will include Daniel Ulbricht, Brian Reeder, Peter O'Brien, Michael Vernon, Maxim Beloserkovsky among others. Additional guests include ABT's Herman Cornejo, Daniil Simkin and Craig Salstein as well as NYCB's Robert Fairchild, Amar Ramasar and Adam Hendrickson. Dedicated Men's technique and variations classes are offered 3 times a week as well as partnering twice a week. MYB's male students will have the unique opportunity to be mentored by these artists.

Modeled with an emphasis on European classical ballet, Manhattan Youth Ballet (MYB) offers world class training in a nurturing environment focused on discipline, precision and artistry. MYB is the culmination of Ms. Rose Caiola's effort for the past fifteen years to create a viable and curriculum-based ballet academy in Manhattan in order to serve the needs of the multifaceted community. Principal members of the faculty have received their training in schools such as the School of American Ballet, Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet and the Kirov Ballet. The faculty strives to bring out the individual potential of each student with an emphasis on artistry as well as technique to create truly versatile dancers for the current dance world. Education is a top priority at Manhattan Youth Ballet and the school has numerous community outreach programs to promote dance education. Since moving to its new home at Manhattan Movement & Arts Center in September 2008, over 2,500 New York City school children have participated in lecture demonstrations and/or been MYB's invited guests at full-length performances. For more information, visit www.manhattanyouthballet.org.

About Manhattan Movement & Arts Center
Manhattan Movement & Arts Center was developed by Rose Caiola as the home of the Manhattan Youth Ballet, a graded, pre-professional ballet academy and performance company. Ms. Caiola, a former dancer and actress, founded the academy in the fall of 1994 as Studio Maestro at 48 W. 68th Street, and today serves as the youth ballet's executive artistic director.

The school is modeled after the European academies. The Manhattan Youth Ballet has acquired a reputation for excellent teaching in an intimate and individually supportive environment. The school's graduates have danced professionally with American Ballet Theatre, New York City Ballet, Nederlands Dans Theater, Ballet de España, San Francisco Ballet and Complexions.

As the ballet academy grew, the search for a larger space inspired in Ms. Caiola a highly personal vision of a studio and theater complex that would encompass all aspects of dance education and performance.

mmac opened its doors in June 2008, occupying a dramatic bi-level space within The Element, a luxury high-rise condominium. In addition to the Manhattan Youth Ballet, mmac's studios and theater host daily adult dance and fitness classes, the mmac Kids program, summer intensive programs, as well as an array of performances and special events.

For more information about mmac, visit www.manhattanmovement.com.