LEARNING CHAIR POSE: Harper Rueff sits atop base Lily Prothro, while Kate Glass helps her friend during SGB's Acro Yoga Summer Intensive. (Jill Holloway/The Thomasville Times- Enterprise)

THOMASVILLE — South Georgia Ballet welcomed in instructors from across the country last week as they hosted their annual summer intensive. During the week-long program, company dancers were able to experience a variety of specialty classes and hone their skills, improving their technique and stamina.

Dancers participated in routine tap, jazz, ballet, and contemporary classes, before engaging in unique Swing & Waltz classes, Pilates, Ariel Arts, Barre, and Acro Yoga.

Acro Yoga was a favorite among many of the younger participants, with several hoping the class could become a year-round offering.

Harper Rueff, 10, Kate Glass, 9, and Lily Prothro, 9 were three of the students who participated in the class, with all playing a different role.

The trio agreed the class has taught them about strength, balance, and teamwork.

Rueff served as a flyer for the duration of the class.

“As a flyer, I have to have good balance,” Rueff said. “I have to squeeze and tighten my legs and stomach.”

Glass has been helping Rueff as her spotter, ensuring she doesn’t fall during any of the new exercises the team has been tasked with, while Prothro is the base.

“I have to make sure the flyer is in shape for everything,” Prothro said.

Spending time together as a team has created trust in one another, but also brought about a new energy in the class, with the girls itching to learn more.

Rueff said all three of them currently are enrolled in ballet, tap, and jazz, with contemporary classes on the horizon.

But, if acro yoga was available they would sign up.

“My favorite thing about this class is that I get to be a flyer,” Rueff said. “I get to be up in the air and doing different poses.”

Prothro said she enjoys helping Rueff get into those unique poses while building strength within herself.

As for Glass, she said she likes to make sure everyone is safe in her role.

Lead teacher and former SGB teacher, Ryan Zimmerman was ecstatic to hear the young dancers took away so much from the course.

Throughout the intensive, Zimmerman taught the students acro fundamentals, along with how to spot safely, and how to properly align one’s limbs so they can stack properly in the poses.

“I wanted to show the proper techniques on how to lift safely so they can prevent injury,” he said.

While the students may not use the lifting techniques daily, Zimmerman particularly enjoys the sense of camaraderie that acro yoga teaches, as it incorporates three dancers for every pose.

Additionally, Zimmerman said it helps dancers with their perception, as they can better gauge where they are in the air, which they may use for later lifts in showcases.

“I think it’s really good for cross-training a lot of different disciplines,” he said.

While Zimmerman has enjoyed teaching all of the classes throughout the week, he particularly enjoyed Rueff, Prothro, and Glass’ classes, as they were more willing to embrace the challenge, seeing it as a puzzle to figure out and not something to fear or be perfect at.

“It’s like they are back on the playground monkeying around again,” he laughed. “It’s nothing too serious so the younger girls get a lot out of it, which has been my favorite part is seeing them happy.”

Zimmerman was joined by several other guest instructors throughout the week, including Christopher Huggins, Chandler Proctor, Ruth Allen, and founder of SGB Alison Bundrick, who returned to teach several ballet classes.