Patel Conservatory makes national news

By Leslie Farrell, Publicist for the Patel Conservatory

Both the dance chair at the Patel Conservatory and a Patel Conservatory dance student are in the national news this month!

Thalia, on left, performs in a holiday show
with tappers from the Patel Conservatory.

Thalia Arbelaez, Patel Conservatory dance student, is in the Oct. 17, 2011 issue of Woman’s World, available on newsstands at grocery stores and pharmacies nationwide. The 18-year-old dancer is called "an inspiration" in the publication, as it describes how – with help from her supportive parents - this remarkable young lady with Downs Syndrome dances at fundraisers for the Down Syndrome Association and motivates others.

Thalia recently returned from Colombia, the country of her parents’ birth, where she danced in fundraisers from the Colombian association for people with Downs Syndrome. Last year, she was invited to dance in Argentina with the same aim and she also participated in a fashion show in Denver.

All this is quite a feat, especially for a girl whose doctor said would never walk! Check out Thalia’s story on page 54 of Woman’s World.

Chair of the Patel Conservatory’s dance department and Artistic Director of Next Generation Ballet, Peter Stark, is also in the national news this month! Peter was interviewed for the magazine Dance Teacher about his views on competitions in the world of ballet. Check out www.dance-teacher.com.

Peter has had several students win national and international dance competitions, so he is an expert on this field. Fortunately for Tampa, he’s also enticed the Youth America Grand Prix (YAGP) to hold a gala here in January, which will feature professional ballet dancers performing alongside soon-to-be ballet stars.