ENCOUNTER PERFORMING ARTS COMPANY
2021 Summer Dance Intensive

Information and Requirements

Encounter Performing Arts Company will be hosting their annual month-long summer dance
intensive this June and July! We are inviting dancers from all over the country to come join us

for this unforgettable and life-changing experience!

Dancers will receive intense, high quality training in a healthy, professional, and Christ-focused
environment. It is our desire to aid students in reaching their goals and to help cultivate

excellence in every aspect of life, all to the glory of Jesus Christ.

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INTENSIVE DATES

Four Week Session: June 14th - July 9th
First Session: June 14th - June 25th
Second Session: June 28th - July 9th

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LOCATION

Classes will be held at the Grace Ballet & Acrobatics Studio

1380 NE 66th Avenue
Des Moines, Iowa 50313

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REQUIREMENTS

1) Must be 11-24 years old.

2) Female applicants must have a minimum of 3 consecutive years of ballet training and 2

years of pointe.

3) Male applicants must have a minimum of 3 years of ballet training.

4) All applicants must currently be training in dance.

5) Must be able to train up to 6 hours daily, 5 days a week.

6) All application packets and tuition payments must be received by APRIL 1, 2021.

All dancers must submit an application packet and audition video. Dancers will be notified of

acceptance within two weeks.

Application packet is to include the following...
1) Online Application (see below)
2) $50 (plus tax) non-refundable audition fee

3) Photos: 1) Head shot. 2) First arabesque profile - en pointe for ladies, demi-pointe for
men. Black leotard and pink tights for ladies. Fitted, black shirt and black tights for men.
Please email photos to encounterpacintensive@gmail.com.
4) Audition Video. Please include the following exercises (one side only):

Videos are to be uploaded to either YouTube, Vimeo, or another video
sharing website for submission. Please post your video as unlisted and do not put
“Encounter Performing Arts Company” in your title, but label it with the dancer’s name.
All videos are to be current and up to date. 

Please send links once uploaded to:

Barre:
Pliés
Tendus/Degagé
Fondu/Developé
Grand Battements

Center:
Adagio
Waltz
Petite Allegro
Grand Allegro
Pirouette (on Pointe for ladies)
Classical Variation (on Pointe for ladies) - no longer than 2 minutes

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Attire for audition videos and photos:
Women:
Black leotard (no undergarments showing)
Pink tights
Pink ballet shoes
Pink pointe shoes
Hair - high bun
Stud earrings acceptable

Men:
White, fitted shirt (tucked into tights)
Black tights
Black socks
Black ballet shoes
Dance belt
Hair - neatly combed
Clean shaven

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TUITION INVESTMENT
Two Weeks - $500 (plus tax) 
Four Weeks - $1,000 (plus tax)

Housing is available upon request for an additional $200 per week.

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SCHOLARSHIPS

Scholarships will be given out to select students during the intensive to be used for the following

summer intensive.

Studio owners: If a dance school sends three students to our summer dance intensive, we will
give a fourth student a free tuition scholarship for either a two week session or half off of a four
week session. The student that is wishing to apply for the scholarship must still pay the
application fee of $50, housing fees, and submit all forms and videos. In order to apply, the

studio owner must submit this application.

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EPAC AUDITION

Select dancers may be invited at the discretion of the Artistic Directors for a company position

in the Encounter Performing Arts Company for the 2021-2022 season.

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INTENSIVE SCHEDULE

First Session: Dancer Orientation and Placement Class - Monday, June 14th
Second Session: Dancer Orientation and Placement Class: Monday, June 28th
Weekly Classes: 9:00am - 4:30pm, Monday through Friday

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Classes will include Ballet, Pointe, Variations, Contemporary, Conditioning, and original

Choreography.

In addition, the schedule will include creative worships, daily devotions, and Bible studies.
At the end of the second and fourth weeks, students will have the opportunity to perform original

choreography set on them for an audience.

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FACULTY

Michael Viator, Artistic Director

Originally from Augusta, Georgia, Michael began his dance training with the Columbia County
Ballet at the age of 9. He became a trainee in the Instructor’s program and upon successfully
completing the course joined the CCB Instructional Staff. His gift for choreographing dance
emerged as a natural progression of his unfolding talent. At age 16 Michael choreographed a
full-length ballet for the entire company, Freedom, celebrating the spirit of the American people.
It was from this considerable accomplishment that Artistic Director, Ron Jones recognized a

strong talent within Michael that complimented his ability to dance. Michael then choreographed
full length story ballets for the Columbia County Ballet including ALICE, Beauty and the Beast,
and Cinderella. Though accepted into the Ballet Magnificat Trainee Program when he graduated
high school, Michael decided to attend three years of ministry school at the Georgia School of
Ministry. During the next few years, he founded a dance ministry at his home church to allow
students from any background to have affordable and quality dance instruction. After graduating
GSM, Michael moved to Jackson, MS, to join the Ballet Magnificat Trainee Program. He was
soon promoted to Company Artist with the company and for the next two years had the
opportunity to travel all over the United States, Europe, and Asia. Michael and his wife then
followed the Lord’s leading to Iowa where they are continuing to combine dance and ministry as

the Artistic Directors of Encounter Performing Arts Company.

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Olivia Viator, Assistant Director

Originally from Washington State, Olivia began dancing at age 3, where she grew up studying
ballet, jazz, tap, contemporary, and modern at Irenes’s School of Dance, under the instruction of
Irene Miller and Chela Grey. During her training there, she had the opportunity to perform many
lead roles with the studio company, and was also offered a support cast role with the New York
Ballet Theatre. Later Olivia furthered her ballet training with former Pacific Northwest Ballet and
Joffrey Ballet principal dancer, Deborah Hadley, and Pacific Northwest Ballet personal trainer,
Carol Elsner. After receiving several scholarship awards, Olivia attended summer dance
intensives with Cornish College of the Arts, The Evergreen City Ballet, and Ballet Magnificat.
Following high school, Olivia was asked to be a Trainee with Ballet Magnificat. A year after she
was promoted to Company Artist with the company where for the next six years she had the
opportunity to perform and minister to over 20 countries including, Europe, Russia, Africa,
Central America, Canada, and the United States. In 2019, Olivia and her husband, Michael,
moved to Iowa where they are now the Artistic Directors of Encounter Performing Arts
Company. In addition, she also teaches ballet, tap, contemporary, and acrobatics at the Grace

Ballet & Acrobatics Studio in Des Moines.