School History
The International City School of Ballet (ICSB), under the artistic direction of Georné Aucoin & Musashi Alvarez, embodies a strong desire to inspire all students to realize their fullest potential. Founded by award-winning teacher Georné Aucoin in 2004, the International City School of Ballet has become one of Atlanta's most respected pre-professional ballet academies. The vision Ms. Aucoin had for the school was to educate dancers in the Middle Georgia area and educate the community with the performing arts. The school would enable dedicated young dancers to receive extensive training year-round while also being able to experience valuable performance opportunities. Alongside award-winning choreographer Musashi Alvarez, ICSB quickly became a standard of excellence in dance education throughout GA and has generated widespread attention in the dance community as a school that raises the bar.
ICSB strives to enrich students' lives by introducing a detailed and thoughtful approach to the study of classical dance. In addition to long-term and short-term training, students of ICSB have had the opportunity to participate successfully in some of the world's largest student ballet competitions such as the Youth America Grand Prix, World Ballet Competition, ADC-IBC, Prix de Lausanne, and USA International Ballet Competition. Since January 2013, the Youth America Grand Prix has presented ICSB with the Outstanding Teacher and Outstanding Choreographer Award in addition to the Outstanding School Award.
For us, moving into our new, bright, and spacious dance studios marks an essential step into the future. In May 2014, ICSB relocated its facilities to Smyrna to better serve students in the Atlanta metropolitan area. Our constant endeavor is to remain one of the leading ballet schools and provide a quality education for aspiring dancers.
Mission Statement
Our mission is simple: It’s about the student.
ICSB teaches students to build a dream in their art. A dancer can accomplish this dream through the combination of disciplined training, consistent dedication, and, most importantly, passion. Our curriculum gives each dancer the tools not only to be an accomplished technician but also to believe and truly understand the art of ballet. Through the training offered at ICSB, students will strive for excellence by cultivating the grit necessary to be a successful artist. The attention to detail learned in ballet training will facilitate a work ethic translated to all aspects of life and can lead to success in various careers and pursuits. ICSB’s ambition is to provide all students with the limitless utility of a dance education that transfers further than technical achievements. We aim to inspire the next generation of leaders and creatives who can shape the cultural landscape of tomorrow.
The primary goal of the International City School of Ballet is to provide exceptional ballet instruction through thoughtful instruction and honest instructors. We strive to create an inspiring and productive atmosphere where dancers develop a strong classical foundation and discover their most authentic selves. ICSB maintains a delicate balance to produce the ideal learning environment. Over the years of its existence, ICSB has found three specific qualities to preserve this: self-motivation, professionalism, and trust. Faculty, students, and parents alike are encouraged to embody these three pillars to create the most seamless experience in ballet education.
SELF-MOTIVATION
A dancer's hard work today is an investment in their tomorrow. Dancers who profoundly appreciate and understand the "why" behind why they dance are much more likely to feel engaged and empowered in what they do. It is your mission statement, the real reason you get up in the morning and muster the inner strength necessary to overcome the obstacles of the day. At the end of the day, many can work hard for a few moments, and few can do so for an entire career. It all comes down to how badly you want something and how hard you are willing to work to get it.
To achieve proficiency in this intricate art form, students must exert themselves, physically and intellectually, in refining their technique and artistry. Dancers must devote many hours to the training, developing a sense of discipline and a strong work ethic along the way. ICSB encourages patience and self-mastery in all of our daily and nightly classes. ICSB expects a focused mindset when students enter the studio for class. Students learn executive functioning skills to boost productivity; the benefits of the intense training become evident in their schooling and academics.
PROFESSIONALISM
We value professionalism as a fundamental and critical characteristic for each student's success and personal growth. Commitment requires a certain level of maturity, and young dancers must "grow up" faster than normal children. New students at ICSB will quickly realize that the level of hard work one must put into their study is a prerequisite and necessary adjustment to the demands of the professional field. The ICSB faculty encourages students to work as a corps de ballet and develop a strong collective identity to make the most of their training. To be truly successful, students must understand the value of independence and accountability in their work while maintaining the utmost respect for their instructors and peers. By incorporating this into the student's behavior, ICSB can send students out into the world fully confident that they will represent themselves with dignity, humility, and intelligence.
Adaptability becomes key in becoming an astute learner as information may come in a variety of forms; flexibility of the mind and the body are vital to success in this demanding environment where dancers may need to work with directors and choreographers of various temperaments. Students learn universally applicable tools to succeed in every career, whether working in an office or a theater. Dancers learn to be resilient and utilize criticism in all its forms to attain excellence.
TRUST
The training at ICSB is hard work; it is critical to trust in the work, the instructors, and, most importantly, oneself to maximize results. It is the most crucial bonding agent that brings cohesiveness at the culmination of training. It creates long-lasting relationships that will prove invaluable in the dance profession. We offer students a dance education that teaches them to challenge their limits by focusing on the task and identifying the positive aspects of the process. This approach motivates students to discover the meaning behind their work and visualize their study as a personal challenge to satisfy their intellectual curiosity, learn new skills, and thoroughly enjoy every aspect of dance. It is part of the school’s academic culture to create a hunger for learning that empowers students to find their paths to success.
The ICSB Student
At ICSB, dance is about connecting with pleasure, listening to your body, and building awareness of sensations. It’s about personal, investigative research that encourages using all of the senses to become aware of your body. Attention to gravity, texture, tension, and dimensionality are important. It requires serious focus, but also encourages laughter, silliness, and release. Magnetic alertness, fluidity, and authenticity in movement is important too. Use of breath, eyes and playfulness are particularly noticeable and desired.
It could be about the main character’s struggle; or about love, loss, sacrifice, death, pleasure, pain or healing. Its about making the audience have their own story. Sometimes it is a sublime combination of the weird and the interesting. We’ve always been intrigued about stretching the boundaries and constantly challenging the limit. Its not literal, but more a mental block. Its about getting out of that block and conquering the stage and your audience.
We are not interested in how people move, but in what moves them.