Celebrating Our Conservatory Students
- Cindy Case
- 5 days ago
- 3 min read
Another year, another Conservatory Showcase! Between our classes at Maryland Hall, the BTM Annex, and our Grasonville location, the BTM Conservatory has been growing over the last few years. That's never clearer than at the Conservatory performance, where every student has the opportunity to take the stage. At the end of each school year, it is a privilege to watch our young students perform and to reflect on how far they've come.
Enjoying a Show Full of Smiles
Some students like going onstage. Others love it!
Although we do see the occasional case of stage fright, the photos show that our Conservatory students were all smiles onstage. The Conservatory Showcase represents the culmination of many hours of preparation--both from teachers and students--and seeing the students enjoy their show is a wonderful payoff.
Each year, there are big milestones: for our youngest, shyest dancers, stepping onstage at all is a huge accomplishment! For older students, perhaps they are showing off a new style of dance, performing in pointe shoes for the first time, or participating in their last show before graduation.
Presenting the Robert Sutton Award
In 2024, BTM was deeply saddened by the loss of Robert Sutton, a longtime board member and supporter of our organization. He and his wife, Erin, became involved with BTM when their daughter Emily joined the Conservatory in 2012. His work as a Vice President and Treasurer on the Board of Trustees provided significant guidance to BTM as an organization, particularly during the difficult years surrounding the pandemic. We are grateful to have known him and were deeply inspired to follow his example.
As a way to honor his memory, BTM established a Scholarship Fund and Young Artist Award. The Robert Sutton Young Artist Award is an annual honor recognizing a student who demonstrates helpfulness and care as a role model and friend to their fellow dancers. We presented the inaugural Robert Sutton Award last May to then-graduating senior Benta Owino.
This year, BTM recognized Carolyn Clark. Carolyn embodies the spirit of the award: her work ethic and kindness quietly inspire and uplift the dancers around her. Although Carolyn has been dancing since she was three, she joined the BTM Conservatory in 2023. It can be intimidating to start over somewhere new, but she quickly found her stride at BTM.
Readers of the blog may remember Carolyn working on a variation for the National Ballet Competition earlier this season, as well as her interview with junior correspondent Reese Poole about the competition experiences. In both instances, her responses reflect a thoughtful and professional approach to the process.
She's performed student roles in ballets including Don Quixote, La Esmeralda, and, of course, The Nutcracker, but audiences will be seeing a little more of her soon: after completing her high school education this spring, she will be joining Ballet Theatre of Maryland's Trainee Program for the 2026/2027 season.
Congratulations to Carolyn on this award!
Recognizing Our High School Seniors
Each year, Conservatory Principal Emily Carey takes a moment after the performance to acknowledge our graduating seniors. Young dancers spend so much of their time in the studio that it can be an emotional moment to watch as they take their final bow. Last week, we said "See you later" to three graduates: Carolyn Clark, Ana Gisele Gooz, and Zuri Mack-Hardman.
Carolyn Clark plans to study nursing at Anne Arundel Community College while attending BTM's trainee program.
Ana Gisele Gooz will be attending Northeastern University to study neuroscience.
Zuri Mack-Hardman will study at AACC while continuing her training with BTM. She plans to major in Psychology and minor in Dance at a four-year university.
Congratulations to all three of our graduating seniors on their accomplishments!
Things will go quiet at the studio for a few weeks, but don't fret: the Conservatory's summer session starts back up on Monday, June 22! This summer, we offer ballet classes for ages 3 through Adults in a 6-week session. Visit our Summer Classes page for more information.
Performance photos by Lauren Martinez
