My first teaching job in an open school in New York was at the Darvash school. Mdm. Gabriela Darvash, who\u2019s teachings were close in style to my main teacher in Israel, Inese Alexandrowich, took me under her wings and gave me a place to try my hands at teaching in the Big Apple. I often replaced her when she took off on trips abroad, and eventually got my own classes to teach. The Darvash school was located on Broadway, very close to Central Park, so in clear days I would go to the Park, park myself on one of the warm-to-touch rocks and prepare my lessons. Mme. Darvash has supported me and helped me with solid advice when I opened Peridance Center and in later years was a guest Master Teacher at the center.<\/p>\n
[aesop_image force_fullwidth=”off” lightbox=”off” captionposition=”left” caption=”photo: Peridance Archive” captionsrc=”custom” align=”right” imgwidth=”100%” img=”https:\/\/performingartslegacy.org\/perryigal\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/246\/2024\/02\/Darvash.jpg” panorama=”off”]\n<\/p>\n
Biography:<\/p>\n
World-renowned Kirov-trained teacher Madame Gabriela
\nDarvash was Artistic Director and resident choreographer for
\nthe State Opera Ballet in Cluj, Roumania for 14 years. Since
\n1972 she has resided in New York, running her own school
\nfrom 1976 to 1988. The New York Times\u2019 Anna Kisselgoff
\nand Jennifer Dunning have praised her ability to create
\nbeautiful, strong, artistically expressive dancers. The New
\nYork Times also quotes Mikhail Baryshnikov calling Madame
\nDarvash \u201cone of the distinguished and fine ballet pedegogues
\nin America.\u201d One of her students, a principal dancer with
\nNew York City Ballet, has written \u201cher method of teaching has
\nchanged my life\u2026her devotion to this method and the care
\nshe takes with each of her students reminds me very much of
\nthe way Mr. Balanchine used to teach his classes.\u201d <\/p>\n